Chapter Summaries

Xiao Yan and his companions arrived at the Strong Ranking Tournament, where he reassured Xun Er and learned that the Ancient Clan planned to recall her after the event for her safety. The chapter ended with Gu Qingyang introducing himself to Xiao Yan and asking about his relationship with Xun Er.

• Xiao Yan recovered after refining Yao Ling's Dou Qi, then joined his eight female roommates on the way to Central Plaza.
• Xiao Yan teased Xun Er about her earlier decision not to compete, and she explained that she needed to keep her Dou Qi stable while refining the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame.
• Xiao Yan told Xun Er she had always been dazzling in his eyes, prompting warm reactions from their companions.
• The Ancient Clan group arrived and bowed to Xun Er, drawing the attention of the surrounding students.
• Gu Qingyang told Xun Er that the clan would likely force her to return after the tournament because the Soul Clan had learned of their whereabouts.
• Gu Qingyang greeted Xiao Yan and asked whether he had taken good care of Xun Er.

Xiao Yan confronted Gu Qingyang’s Ancient Clan group and openly declared his relationship with Xun Er, then encountered Hu Qingqing, the former top-ranked student who challenged him to a fight. Zi Yan later identified Hu Qingqing as a magical beast, though she did not know her exact kind.

• Gu Qingyang thanked Xiao Yan for looking after Xun Er, but Xiao Yan clarified that they were childhood sweethearts, prompting Gu Yao to object and Xun Er to defend Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Yan took Xun Er’s hand, put on her golden Storage Ring, and told Gu Yao that his impressive presence was not matched by his strength.
• Li Da and Xu Kun discussed their chances in the Strong Ranking Tournament and noticed Hu Qingqing approaching Xiao Yan’s group.
• Hu Qingqing introduced herself, said Zi Yan had praised Xiao Yan, and expressed interest in fighting him during the tournament; Huo Zhi explained that Hu Qingqing had once topped the Strong Ranking List.
• Zi Yan arrived with a Storage Ring full of medicinal ingredients and told Xiao Yan that Hu Qingqing was a magical beast who was less strong than her and might be a fox.

Xiao Yan joined the Strong Ranking Tournament as the contestants gathered, sized one another up, and drew lots for their first matches. After Xiao Yan drew blue-backed number twenty-one and learned he would face Sun Qingyang, Su Qian randomly selected match number ten to begin the competition.

• Xiao Yan and Old Yao speculated about Hu Qingqing's mysterious Fox Clan background before the tournament bell rang.
• Su Qian welcomed the Strong Ranking contestants and warned them to show restraint during their matches.
• Xu Kun, Li Da, the Ancient Clan group, Hu Qingqing, Xiao Yan, and Zi Yan entered the arena, drawing attention to their strength and Xiao Yan's companions.
• The contestants drew their match slips, and Xiao Yan was paired with Sun Qingyang while Gu Xing faced Gu Hua and Gu Qingyang faced Gu Yao.
• Su Qian randomly called number ten and ordered the blue-backed and red-backed number ten contestants to stay in the arena.

Xiao Yan watched the Strong Ranking Tournament begin and reassured Sun Qingyang that he could handle the powerful outsiders. Zi Yan then entered the arena and defeated Lai Fu with a single punch, leaving the spectators stunned by her strength and her connection to Xiao Yan.

• Xiao Yan told Sun Qingyang that he was confident he could defeat the powerful outsiders and promised to fight him seriously if they met in the tournament.
• Zhu Xiao won the opening match after a close fight against another student.
• Su Qian drew the next match, and Zi Yan stepped onto the platform to face the gray-haired Lai Fu.
• Lai Fu boasted that he would go easy on Zi Yan and announced his name, while Zi Yan paid little attention to him.
• Zi Yan charged forward and shattered Lai Fu's defensive techniques with one punch, knocking him unconscious without killing him.

Zi Yan defeated Lai Fu with a single punch, then left the arena after chatting with Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan faced Sun Qingyang in the Strong Ranking Tournament and effortlessly absorbed both of his flame attacks, leaving Sun Qingyang and the spectators stunned.

• Zi Yan knocked Lai Fu unconscious with one punch, and Su Qian declared her the winner.
• Zi Yan explained that Lai Fu had challenged Xiao Yan and insulted her, then left the plaza to sleep.
• Su Qian called Xiao Yan and Sun Qingyang for their match, and both took the fighting stage.
• Sun Qingyang opened with Qingyang Fire Net, but Xiao Yan dispersed it with his bare hand.
• Sun Qingyang unleashed Qingyang Palm, and Xiao Yan absorbed the flaming attack with cobalt-blue light, shocking the crowd and Sun Qingyang.

Xiao Yan defeated Sun Qingyang by absorbing and refining the flames in his attack, then advanced through the first day’s tournament as the remaining contestants prepared for the second round. After drawing the first match against Xu Kun, a Dou Wang and former third-ranked student, Xiao Yan invited him to attack.

• Xiao Yan explained that his physique and Heavenly Flames countered Sun Qingyang’s flame-based attack, and Sun Qingyang conceded the match.
• The audience and several experts marveled at Xiao Yan’s flame control, while the women around him won their own first-round matches.
• That night, Old Yao recognized similarities between Hu Qingqing’s Bewitchment Techniques and techniques once used by the Demon Clan’s Saintess; Ling Ying also told Xun Er that she had to return to her clan because the Soul Clan was becoming active.
• The next morning, Su Qian announced the second-round draw, which would give one contestant a bye, and Xiao Yan drew number ten.
• Xiao Yan’s first match was against Xu Kun, who acknowledged Xiao Yan’s strength and said he would treat him as an opponent on Zi Yan’s level; Xiao Yan invited Xu Kun to attack.

Xiao Yan dominated Xu Kun in close combat during their Strong Ranking Tournament match and forced him to reveal his Six Harmonies Spear. The chapter ended as Xu Kun launched an aerial spear strike against Xiao Yan, who had drawn his Heavy Profound Ruler to test his ruler technique.

• Su Qian announced the start of the match, and Xu Kun released his Dou Wang aura and activated his body-refining techniques.
• Xiao Yan met Xu Kun's punch with pure physical strength and forced the body-refining expert to retreat.
• Xiao Yan used Heavenly Flame and Eight Extremities Collapse to scorch Xu Kun's palm, then countered Iron Mountain Lean with a Heart-Piercing Elbow that injured Xu Kun's shoulder.
• Xu Kun drew his Six Harmonies Spear, and Xiao Yan removed his Heavy Profound Ruler to face him.
• Xu Kun spread his Dou Qi wings and dove toward Xiao Yan, bringing his spear down with tremendous force.

Xiao Yan defeated Xu Kun in the arena by redirecting and breaking his strongest spear technique with the Heavy Profound Ruler. After Su Qian declared Xiao Yan the winner, Xiao Yan gave Xu Kun a Grade 5 pill and returned to his seat, determined to claim first place on the Strong Ranking List.

• Xu Kun unleashed Mountain Collapsing Style, but Xiao Yan diverted the spear and wounded him with Flame Sword Finger, forcing him to retreat.
• Xu Kun used Mountain Shaking, and Xiao Yan absorbed and redirected its force before counterattacking and knocking Xu Kun into the rubble.
• Xu Kun admitted defeat and asked about Xiao Yan’s weapon; Xiao Yan identified it as the Heavy Profound Ruler.
• Su Qian declared Xiao Yan the winner, and the crowd erupted in cheers as Xiao Yan gave Xu Kun a Grade 5 Spirit Recovery Pill.
• Xu Kun urged Xiao Yan to defeat the outsiders and protect the Strong Ranking List’s honor; Xiao Yan returned to his seat, saying he would take first place.

After defeating Xu Kun, Xiao Yan gained insight into using the Heavy Profound Ruler to unleash Misty Cloud Sect sword techniques and left to practice. The second round ended with several of his allies advancing, and the third-round draw paired him with Gu Qingyang.

• The Ancient Clan members acknowledged Xiao Yan's strength, while Gu Qingyang admitted he was unsure he could defeat him.
• Hu Qingqing suspected Xiao Yan might help him return to Demon Saint Valley after his Life-Bound Spirit Talisman reacted to him.
• Xiao Yan told the girls he had gained insight and went to practice using the Heavy Profound Ruler as a medium for Misty Cloud Sect Dou Techniques.
• Yao Ling conceded to Gu Zhen, while Shi Xuanxuan, Ling Yanfei, Hun Li Li, Xiao Yi Xian, Zi Yan, and Huo Zhi won their matches; Gu Qingyang also defeated Hu Qingqing.
• Old Yao warned Xiao Yan that using the ruler for sword techniques would consume more Dou Qi, and Xiao Yan said advancing to Dou Wang would help him manage the cost.
• After the second round concluded, Xiao Yan returned for the third-round draw and was matched against Gu Qingyang.

Xiao Yan faced Gu Qingyang in the Strong Ranking Tournament, where Gu Qingyang’s superior strength forced Xiao Yan to unleash Heavenly Fire Three Profound Transformations. Their strongest attacks collided, and Great Elder Su Qian sealed the arena with Space Lock as the clash threatened to escalate.

• Great Elder Su Qian began the third-round match between Xiao Yan and Gu Qingyang, and Gu Qingyang immediately struck with a powerful punch that drove Xiao Yan back.
• Xiao Yan activated the first and second transformations of Heavenly Fire Three Profound Transformations, raising his aura to nearly the level of a Two-Star Dou Wang and surprising Gu Qingyang and the spectators.
• Gu Qingyang used Mountain Opening Seal against Xiao Yan, who countered with Flame Splitting Devouring Wave Ruler.
• Xiao Yan’s flaming ruler blade collided with Gu Qingyang’s crystalline palm seal, and Great Elder Su Qian appeared above them to seal the arena with Space Lock.

Xiao Yan and Gu Qingyang continued their spar after their techniques collided, then agreed to settle the match with one decisive move. Xiao Yan unveiled his self-created Buddha Fury Fire Lotus, and its clash with Gu Qingyang’s Ancient Emperor Finger shattered Su Qian’s Space Lock as the elders moved to contain the blast.

• Xiao Yan and Gu Qingyang charged into the turbulent air and exchanged dozens of attacks, with neither gaining a clear advantage.
• Gu Qingyang activated a secret art to raise his strength and began gathering the Ancient Emperor Finger, while Xiao Yan decided to use a technique of his own.
• Xiao Yan brought together two Heavenly Flames and compressed them with Burning Art Dou Qi and soul power into a green-and-red fire lotus.
• Xiao Yan threw the Buddha Fury Fire Lotus at Gu Qingyang’s Ancient Emperor Finger, triggering an explosion that cracked Su Qian’s Space Lock.
• The students fled as the barrier broke, and the elders formed a sealing formation around it before it shattered.

Xiao Yan defeated Gu Qingyang with his Buddha Fury Fire Lotus in the third-round Strong Ranking match, then used the explosion’s aftermath to temper his body. After the match, Yao Ling invited him to her room to help restore his soul power, while a hidden watcher remained unseen.

• Xiao Yan shielded the injured Gu Qingyang from the Fire Lotus’s next shockwave and endured the blast to temper his body.
• The sealing barrier held until the energy storm subsided, revealing Gu Qingyang badly injured and Xiao Yan still standing.
• Gu Qingyang conceded defeat, and Su Qian announced Xiao Yan as the winner of the match.
• Xun Er and the others gathered around Xiao Yan, while Gu Qingyang left with the Ancient Clan members.
• Xiao Yan recovered and reflected that the blast had advanced his body cultivation, but he needed time to expel the remaining destructive energy.
• Yao Ling invited Xiao Yan to her room after the matches to restore his soul power, and Ling Yanfei suspected she had ulterior intentions.

Xiao Yan won first place on the Strong Ranking List after the Student Union swept the tournament, and he secured two extra Origin Heart Flame Body Tempering slots for Xun Er and Yao Ling. The chapter ended with Yao Ling planning to visit Xiao Yan that night to restore his soul power and repay his kindness.

• Su Qian advanced Xiao Yan directly to the final, and Hun Li Li, Huo Zhi, and Zi Yan progressed through the remaining matches, with Huo Zhi defeating Hun Li Li to take second place.
• Su Qian announced the final rankings, naming Xiao Yan first and Huo Zhi second as the Inner Academy celebrated Xiao Yan's victory.
• Xiao Yan asked Su Qian for two extra Origin Heart Flame Body Tempering slots for Xun Er and Yao Ling, and Su Qian agreed in exchange for Xiao Yan helping replenish the academy's supply later.
• Xiao Yan celebrated with the Student Union, then told Xun Er, Yao Ling, and Han Yue about the body-tempering arrangements and promised Han Yue a slot when she was ready.
• Yao Ling left to refine pills and asked Xiao Yan to visit her that night so she could restore his soul power, while Han Yue gave Xiao Yan and Xun Er privacy.

Xun Er told Xiao Yan she would soon return to the Ancient Clan, and they promised to reunite after years apart. After she secretly sent pills to Gu Qingyang and the others, Yao Ling drugged Xiao Yan and carried him to bed, eager to kiss him while he slept.

• Xun Er told Xiao Yan that the Ancient Clan had dispatched the Black Annihilation Army and that she would have to return within a week to half a month.
• Xiao Yan comforted Xun Er, promised to find her in three to five years, and agreed to spend the remaining days with her instead of focusing on cultivation.
• Xun Er pretended to fall asleep, then gave Ling Ying pills for Gu Qingyang and the others and reflected sadly on leaving the Xiao Family.
• Xiao Yan visited Yao Ling for advice on recovering soul power, and she gave him a Soul Nourishing Green Pill that knocked him unconscious.
• Yao Ling carried the unconscious Xiao Yan to bed and kissed him, then complained that she could only smell Xun Er's rouge on him.

Yao Ling accidentally shared a bed with Xiao Yan after helping restore his soul strength, while Xiao Yan and Xun Er spent a week together before her departure. Xiao Yan then joined the Origin Heart Flame Body Tempering, used the flame to strengthen his body and Dou Qi, and emerged close to advancing to peak Four-Star Dou Ling.

• Yao Ling woke beside Xiao Yan, kissed him, and claimed she had fallen asleep while restoring his soul strength; Xiao Yan later found her ice-blue silk underwear in his hand.
• Xiao Yan reunited with Xun Er, and they wandered the Inner Academy together before she gave him the Emperor Seal Art scrolls and warned him to wait until he reached Dou Wang to cultivate them.
• Xiao Yan and Xun Er spent their final week together before returning to the Student Union for the Origin Heart Flame Body Tempering with thirteen other participants.
• Su Qian and two elders released fifteen Origin Heart Flames, and the participants endured the flames as they strengthened their bodies and Dou Qi.
• Xiao Yan guided the Origin Heart Flame through his body to temper his Dou Qi and physique, then ran out of flame after two and a half days and found himself near advancing to peak Four-Star Dou Ling.

Xiao Yan cultivated with the ninth-floor Heart Fire before bidding farewell to Xun Er, who left for the Ancient Clan with the Black Annihilation Army. After Xiao Yan returned to the pavilion, the Fallen Heart Flame erupted beneath the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower, leaving him and the others rushing to investigate.

• Xiao Yan endured the ninth-floor Heart Fire and completed Origin Heart Flame body tempering with the others.
• Xun Er departed with the Black Annihilation Army, and Gu Qingyang gave Xiao Yan a Black Annihilation Order.
• Xiao Yan and the women discussed how long the Ancient Clan girls could remain at Jia Nan Academy, while Hun Li Li revealed her history and hatred of Hun Tian Di.
• Zi Yan moved into the pavilion, but an explosion at the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower prompted Su Qian to summon the elders and warn students away.
• Xiao Yan and the women went to the tower as the Fallen Heart Flame shattered its seal and sent a magma pillar against the tower's barrier.

The injured Fallen Heart Flame escaped the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower and battled Su Qian and the Inner Academy elders, while Xiao Yan prepared to seize it. After the flame tore through their sealing array and sent its energy across a thousand li, Xiao Yan anticipated Han Feng’s arrival and began planning to take both the Fallen Heart Flame and Sea Heart Flame.

• The Fallen Heart Flame broke out of the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower and erupted into the Inner Academy, alarming the students and elders.
• Xiao Yan and Old Yao realized the Fallen Heart Flame was badly injured, and Xiao Yan resolved to seize it before he had reached Dou Wang.
• Su Qian commanded eighteen elders to form the Thousand-Layer Sealing Array and trap the Fallen Heart Flame.
• The Fallen Heart Flame attacked the array, then sent its milky-white origin snake through the energy net and tore it open.
• The resulting Heavenly Flame energy fluctuation spread far away, and Xiao Yan anticipated Han Feng’s arrival as he planned to take the Fallen Heart Flame and Sea Heart Flame.

Han Feng sensed the Fallen Heart Flame and summoned allies to help him pursue it, while the Inner Academy’s sealing array failed under the beast’s attacks. The freed Fallen Heart Flame targeted Xiao Yan, who tried to draw it away from the students, but it charged straight at him.

• Han Feng sensed a Heavenly Flame near Jia Nan Academy and sent Han Beng to summon sect leaders and two other allies.
• The Fallen Heart Flame blew apart part of its body to batter the Thousand-Layer Sealing Array, forcing the elders to struggle with mounting casualties.
• Hu Gan arrived with Outer Academy reinforcements, but the Fallen Heart Flame exploded another section of its body and shattered the seal.
• The freed Fallen Heart Flame locked onto Xiao Yan because it sensed the Heavenly Flame within him, and Old Yao warned that it intended to attack him.
• Xiao Yan told Xiao Yi Xian and the others to protect the students, then headed toward Su Qian to draw the beast away, but the Fallen Heart Flame lunged at him.

Xiao Yan persuaded Great Elder Su Qian to help him capture Fallen Heart Flame by exploiting its desire to devour the Heavenly Flames in his body. The elders lured the weakened flame into attacking Xiao Yan, who called on Old Yao and seized its Origin Flame Seed.

• Xiao Yan evaded Fallen Heart Flame's attack as Su Qian and the academy's experts struck the fire python.
• Xiao Yan told Su Qian to weaken Fallen Heart Flame and leave it an opening, claiming he could refine it and provide an infant Fallen Heart Flame to replace its role in the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.
• Su Qian believed Xiao Yan's story and secretly ordered Hu Gan and several elders to let Fallen Heart Flame break through toward him.
• Fallen Heart Flame detached its Origin Flame Seed and charged Xiao Yan, while the elders pretended they could not stop it.
• Xiao Yan activated the Heavenly Fire Three Profound Transformations and called for Old Yao's help.
• Old Yao lent Xiao Yan his soul power, and Xiao Yan grabbed Fallen Heart Flame's Origin Flame Seed with his flame-covered hand.

Xiao Yan subdued Fallen Heart Flame's Origin Flame Seed and began refining it while Su Qian sealed its true body. Han Feng then arrived with Black Corner Region factions to demand the Heavenly Flame, and Su Qian ordered the elders to defend it as the confrontation began.

• Xiao Yan trapped Fallen Heart Flame's weakened Origin Flame Seed, and Su Qian sealed its true body with the Inner Academy elders.
• Xiao Yan swallowed the Origin Flame Seed and used the Green Lotus Myriad Beast Fire and his soul force to erase its consciousness.
• Xiao Yan began refining Fallen Heart Flame through the Burning Art while Old Yao stood guard.
• Han Feng arrived with experts from the Black Corner Region and demanded that Su Qian release Fallen Heart Flame.
• Su Qian refused Han Feng's demand and ordered the elders to protect the Heavenly Flame to the death.