Chapter Summaries

Xiao Yan used the Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva to restore his damaged soul and continued removing Nalan Jie’s Branding Poison. As Nalan Jie promised to support him against Yun Leng, Xiao Yan challenged the Nalan Clan over its failure to help the Xiao Family and asserted his right to dissolve his engagement to Nalan Yanran.

• Nalan Jie told Nalan Su to give Xiao Yan the Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva without asking for a trade.
• Nalan Su brought the plant, and Nalan Jie explained that it could restore damaged souls and had caused his Branding Poison.
• Xiao Yan burned the Branding Poison from Nalan Jie’s bones with his Heavenly Flames, causing Nalan Jie intense pain.
• Nalan Jie promised not to stand by if Yun Leng attacked Xiao Yan and said the young people should settle their own affairs.
• Xiao Yan told Nalan Jie that Yun Leng was no threat and urged him to help the Xiao Family, while asserting his right to dissolve his engagement to Nalan Yanran.
• Nalan Jie, Nalan Su, and Nalan Yanran felt ashamed as Xiao Yan reproached the Nalan Clan for never helping the Xiao Family.

Xiao Yan removed Nalan Jie's Branding Poison, then burned the marriage contract after Nalan Yanran chose to dissolve their engagement. In private, he told her he was an observer rather than the Xiao Yan from her memories, and they agreed to begin again.

• Xiao Yan finished removing Nalan Jie's Branding Poison and discreetly hid his blackened fingertips.
• Nalan Yanran asked Xiao Yan to break off their engagement, explaining that she did not want to bind him with the contract.
• Xiao Yan burned the Xiao Family's copy of the marriage contract, and Nalan Jie invited him and Xiao Yi Xian to stay the night.
• Nalan Yanran visited Xiao Yan alone and asked whether he had been reborn.
• Xiao Yan said he was an observer, not the Xiao Yan she remembered, and asked her not to place her guilt onto him.
• Nalan Yanran suggested that they start from zero, and Xiao Yan replied that they already had.

Xiao Yi Xian drew the Branding Poison from Xiao Yan and returned to digest it, while Xiao Yan asked Old Yao about a clone technique before preparing to refine the Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva for him. The chapter ended with Xiao Yan warning Old Yao to absorb the medicine discreetly in case the Soul Hall had ties to the Misty Cloud Sect.

• Xiao Yi Xian noticed the Branding Poison in Xiao Yan's hand and sucked it from his body, taking the poison into herself.
• Xiao Yi Xian left to digest the poison, and Xiao Yan asked Old Yao about a Dou Technique that could create clones to help him handle his romantic entanglements.
• Old Yao told Xiao Yan that the Three Thousand Lightning Illusion Body could be found at the Wind Lightning Pavilion, and Xiao Yan entered the inner room to prepare the Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva.
• Xiao Yan carefully removed the plant from its jade basin and placed it in a new medicinal cauldron, then began refining it with his cobalt-blue flame.
• Xiao Yan told Old Yao to absorb the medicinal power without causing a disturbance because the Soul Hall might have ties to the Misty Cloud Sect, and Old Yao agreed.

Xiao Yan refined the Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva, helping Old Yao recover his soul while discovering how to absorb spiritual energy. Old Yao sealed away the excess soul power Xiao Yan had gained, leaving him with the prospect of reaching Sixth-Grade Alchemist within two years.

• Xiao Yan refined the Seven Illusory Azure Spirit Saliva into a seven-colored droplet, and Old Yao consumed it.
• Old Yao's soul grew more solid as his soul power gradually recovered.
• Xiao Yan used Old Yao's recovering soul as an opportunity to recite a soul cultivation chant and absorb spiritual energy.
• Old Yao awakened Xiao Yan and warned that the surging soul power could have burst his body apart.
• Old Yao sealed part of Xiao Yan's soul power and said he could become a Sixth-Grade Alchemist within two years.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian left Nalan Mansion for Jia Nan Academy after Xiao Yan gave Nalan Yanran cultivation advice and a pill. Nalan Yanran watched him depart, convinced he was the Dou Qi Continent’s finest, while Nalan Jie and Nalan Su reflected on his extraordinary talent and the dissolved engagement.

• Xiao Yan practiced Taiji in the courtyard and sensed that his strengthened soul might let him attempt peak Third-Grade or Fourth-Tier alchemy.
• Xiao Yi Xian emerged after another breakthrough, and Xiao Yan told her they were leaving for Jia Nan Academy.
• Nalan Yanran gave Xiao Yan a Storage Ring of cultivation resources and told him she hoped he would visit her again.
• Xiao Yan gave Nalan Yanran a pill to stabilize her Dou Qi and advised her to build a solid foundation before departing with Xiao Yi Xian on his Purple Cloud Wings.
• Nalan Yanran called Xiao Yan the finest on the continent, while Nalan Jie marveled at his talent and Nalan Su regretted that he had not helped the Xiao Family sooner.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian left the Jia Ma Empire, while Xun Er learned of Xiao Yan’s recent adventures and expected him to arrive at Jia Nan Academy in a month or two. Xun Er remained eager to see him and instructed Ling Ying to stay outside the academy unless an emergency arose.

• Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian passed through Ghost Suppression Pass as eerie black mist followed them into the Jia Ma Empire.
• Xun Er met with Ling Ying on the mountain and asked him how Xiao Yan was doing.
• Ling Ying told Xun Er about Xiao Yan’s infiltration of the Snake-Person Tribe, his seizure of a Heavenly Flame, and his ties with several women.
• Xun Er heard that Xiao Yan had reached Nine-Star Dou Master and believed he would soon advance to Da Dou Shi.
• Ling Ying estimated that Xiao Yan would reach Jia Nan Academy in a month or two, and Xun Er told him to stay outside the academy unless something urgent happened.

After recovering from his exhausting flight, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian entered the Black Corner Region and headed toward a nearby tribe. When a tribesman tried to extort them, Xiao Yan killed him and sent his accomplices fleeing.

• Xiao Yan spotted the Black Domain Great Plain and landed in a secluded forest to recover while Xiao Yi Xian stood watch.
• Old Yao warned Xiao Yan to avoid using the Purple Cloud Wings because flying Dou Skills could attract thieves and murderers.
• Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian set out for the Black Corner Region, intending to find a map and gather ingredients for Elder Hai's Purple Spirit Recovery Pill.
• At a tribe's entrance, Xiao Yan caught an arrow fired at him and threw it back, wounding the attacker.
• A tribesman demanded a five-hundred-gold toll, so Xiao Yan killed him with Eight Extremities Collapse and took his Storage Ring.
• The three armed men with the tribesman retreated and fled after realizing Xiao Yan was far more dangerous than they had expected.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian joined Duo Ma’s caravan as guards to cross the Black Domain Great Plain toward Black Seal City. On the way, Xiao Yan learned that Duo Ma’s daughter was Instructor Xi Wei, his teacher at Jia Nan Academy, and Duo Ma recognized him as the famous student who had taken more than a year off.

• Xiao Yan intimidated the gathered travelers into surrendering maps, while Xiao Yi Xian dissolved the wounded man who had attacked him.
• Duo Ma offered Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian passage with his caravan in exchange for protecting it, and they agreed to travel to Black Seal City.
• Duo Ma explained that the caravan was heading to Black Seal City for its annual auction, which interested Xiao Yan as a chance to find useful treasures and medicinal ingredients.
• Xiao Yi Xian identified Jia Nan Academy on Duo Ma’s map, and Xiao Yan said they were headed there too.
• Duo Ma revealed that his daughter Xi Wei was an instructor at Jia Nan Academy, and Xiao Yan admitted he was her student.
• Duo Ma recognized Xiao Yan as the genius who had taken more than a year off, leaving Xiao Yan at a loss for words while Xiao Yi Xian tried not to laugh.

Xiao Yan learned that Han Feng, Old Yao’s treacherous disciple, had become a powerful alchemist in the Black Corner Region and resolved to kill him for his treasures. After surviving a Black Windstorm, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian reached Black Seal City and went to buy medicinal ingredients.

• Duo Ma told Xiao Yan about the Black Corner Region’s factions and revealed that Han Feng ranked third on the Black List as the Medicine Emperor.
• Old Yao reacted to Han Feng’s name, and Xiao Yan decided to find and kill his senior brother for his treasures.
• A Black Windstorm struck the caravan, and Xiao Yan anchored himself with the Heavy Profound Ruler while protecting Xiao Yi Xian.
• The caravan reached Black Seal City, where Duo Ma gave Xiao Yan a map and paid him and Xiao Yi Xian five thousand gold coins each.
• Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian rented a room and went to the Thousand Medicine Workshop to buy ingredients for Alchemy and a Dou Technique.

Xiao Yan spent heavily at the Thousand Medicine Workshop on ingredients for pills and to prepare for a future attempt to obtain the Fallen Heart Flame. After refining pills for five days, he began making a Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pill, confident in his growing alchemy skills.

• Xiao Yan bought the ingredients for a Purple Spirit Recovery Pill and learned from Old Yao that he would also need four ingredients to refine an Earth Spirit Pill.
• Xiao Yan spent another five hundred and eighty thousand gold coins on herbs to refine pills for the auction, then left the Thousand Medicine Workshop with Xiao Yi Xian.
• Xiao Yan returned to the inn and spent five days refining nearly ten kinds of sought-after Third-Grade and Fourth-Grade Pills while Xiao Yi Xian kept watch.
• Xiao Yan realized he lacked the Three-Vein Green Spirit Pill formula, so Old Yao offered the Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pill as a more effective alternative.
• Xiao Yan began refining the Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pill with Cobalt Blue Flame, relying on his improved cultivation and alchemy insights.

Xiao Yan refined high-quality Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pills by carefully switching between Heavenly Flames, then prepared to take one while Xiao Yi Xian guarded him. The chapter ended as he began absorbing energy to break through to Da Dou Shi and unlock more of his sealed soul force.

• Xiao Yan refined a Two-Turn Qi Gathering Pill, then used Old Yao's Bone Chilling Flame to complete a Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pill.
• Old Yao praised Xiao Yan's work as that of a mature Fourth-Tier Alchemist, and Xiao Yan gave the first pill to Xiao Yi Xian.
• Xiao Yan refined six more Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pills after wasting one portion of herbs through exhaustion.
• Xiao Yan sat on the Green Lotus and began cultivating while Xiao Yi Xian stayed nearby to protect him.
• Xiao Yan swallowed a Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pill and began his attempt to break through to Da Dou Shi.

Xiao Yan refined the Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pill with the Green Lotus Myriad Beast Fire and compressed his Dou Qi as his vortex neared its limit. He successfully advanced to Da Dou Shi, forming a Cobalt Blue Dou Qi crystal and a rudimentary suit of Dou Qi Armor.

• Xiao Yan swallowed the Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pill and endured its alternating cold and heat as its energy entered his meridians.
• Xiao Yan summoned the Green Lotus Myriad Beast Fire to refine the pill's medicinal energy into pure Cobalt Blue Dou Qi.
• Xiao Yan's Dou Qi vortex filled to its limit, so he began compressing the energy to force a breakthrough.
• Xiao Yan's Dou Qi Gauze gathered into rudimentary Cobalt Blue armor bearing two flame patterns.
• Xiao Yan's vortex condensed its liquid energy into a Cobalt Blue crystal, completing his advancement to Da Dou Shi.

After advancing to Three-Star Da Dou Shi, Xiao Yan brought pills to the Black Seal Auction House and secured a first-class guest seat for the auction. He and Xiao Yi Xian settled into their private room as Xiao Yan considered how to keep the women in his life from clashing.

• Xiao Yan used Green Lotus Myriad Beast Fire to harden his Dou Crystal, then absorbed the medicinal energy and advanced to Three-Star Da Dou Shi.
• Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian visited the Black Seal Auction House, where Xiao Yan submitted dozens of pills for appraisal.
• The appraiser valued Xiao Yan's pills at least three million gold coins and agreed to auction the Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pills after verifying their effects.
• The appraiser awarded Xiao Yan a first-class guest card and noted that the Eight Fan Sect's sect master might take an interest in him.
• Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian browsed ordinary auctions before entering their private room for the annual Black Seal Auction.
• As they waited, Xiao Yan thought about Xun Er, Queen Medusa, and Xiao Yi Xian, and considered refining pills for Xun Er in return for her resources.

Xiao Yan attended the Black Seal City Auction and bought a silver spear for his second brother, Xiao Li. When four Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pills appeared, their powerful effects sparked fierce bidding, and the first pill sold for 1.63 million gold coins.

• The white-haired auctioneer opened the Black Seal City Auction and presented the Jingzhe silver spear.
• Xiao Yan bid 300,000 gold coins for Jingzhe, intending it as a weapon for Xiao Li, and no one challenged his bid.
• Xiao Yan watched the early lots pass without interest as various treasures appeared.
• The auctioneer introduced four Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pills, claiming they could raise the strength of Da Dou Shi and Dou Ling experts without side effects.
• Bidders drove the first Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pill's price to 1.63 million gold coins, and it sold for that amount.

Xiao Yan earned millions from the Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pill auction before bidding on the rare Mystic Tier high-level soul combat technique, Soul Suppressing Seal. He remained determined to obtain it as Fan Lao and Su Mei competed against him, and the price reached 3.8 million.

• The next three Three-Turn Qi Gathering Pills sold for increasingly high prices, bringing Xiao Yan's earnings from the pills to at least seven million.
• The auctioneer revealed the Soul Suppressing Seal, a rare Mystic Tier high-level soul combat technique, with a starting price of two million.
• Fan Lao bid 2.3 million, and Su Mei of the Rakshasa Sect countered with 2.4 million.
• Xiao Yan joined the contest at three million, then raised his bid to 3.5 million as Fan Lao and Su Mei continued competing.
• Fan Lao bid 3.8 million, and Xiao Yan grinned as he resolved to obtain the technique without spending the money himself.

Xiao Yan bought an Earth Core Fire Ganoderma he needed for refining the Earth Spirit Pill and watched the auction’s treasures go by. When the final item proved to be the Wind Lightning Pavilion’s Thunder God Descent, he chose not to bid and left, thinking about obtaining the Heavenly Fire Three Profound Transformations from Burning Flame Valley.

• Fan Lao won the soul Dou Technique after spending over seven million.
• Xiao Yan recognized the Earth Core Fire Ganoderma as one of the ingredients for the Earth Spirit Pill and bought it for 1.2 million.
• Xiao Yan bought two medicinal formulas but ignored the other auction items.
• The auctioneer revealed the final item as the Wind Lightning Pavilion’s Earth Tier, mid-level secret technique, Thunder God Descent.
• Xiao Yan decided not to bid on the secret technique, signaled Xiao Yi Xian, and asked Old Yao about Burning Flame Valley.

Xiao Yan collected the proceeds and purchases from the auction, then learned that Fan Lao had bought the Earth Tier secret art. He refused the auction house sect master’s invitation and left, while the sect master ordered Steward Hu to investigate him and recruit or kill him.

• Xiao Yan discussed Burning Flame Valley and the Heavenly Fire Three Profound Transformations with Old Yao, then waited at the auction house for his settlement.
• Steward Hu paid Xiao Yan 6,650,000 after fees and returned the items he had purchased.
• Xiao Yan learned that Blood Sect Leader Fan Lao had bought the Earth Tier secret art and planned to exchange it for a cultivation method of the same tier.
• Xiao Yan refused the sect master’s invitation and left with Xiao Yi Xian.
• The sect master ordered Steward Hu to secretly follow Xiao Yan, learn his background, and recruit him or eliminate him if he had no powerful backing.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian tracked Fan Lao outside Black Seal City, where Xiao Yan revealed a temporary Dou Emperor aura and began attacking him. Fan Lao decided to retreat but was forced to unleash his Blood Transformation and hurl his ultimate blood spear at Xiao Yan.

• Old Yao warned Xiao Yan that people from the Eight Fan Sect were following him, and Xiao Yi Xian exposed and killed the pursuers with poisonous mist.
• Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian learned that Fan Lao was staying at Black Seal City’s most luxurious inn and watched for him to leave the next day.
• Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian followed Fan Lao beyond the city, where Xiao Yan revealed a temporary Dou Emperor aura and challenged him.
• Xiao Yan and Fan Lao exchanged blows, and Fan Lao recognized Xiao Yan’s strength and Heavenly Flame before deciding to retreat.
• Xiao Yan pressed his attack with the Heavy Profound Ruler, so Fan Lao used Blood Transformation and launched his Great Blood Bodhi Devour spear.

Xiao Yan overwhelmed Fan Lao with Heavenly Flames and a relentless close-range assault, forcing him to use Blood Escape to survive. Fan Lao escaped again at the cost of more blood, while Xiao Yan pursued and challenged him to keep fleeing.

• Xiao Yan’s Flame Splitting Devouring Wave Ruler overwhelmed Fan Lao’s Great Blood Bodhi Devour, and Fan Lao decided to retreat until Xiao Yan’s power boost wore off.
• Xiao Yan caught up with Fan Lao using Wind Flurry Residual Shadow and battered him with Eight Extremities Collapse until his blood membrane shattered.
• Xiao Yan struck Fan Lao into the ruins, then dove after him with a cobalt-blue flame attack.
• Fan Lao used Blood Escape to flee the impact, and Xiao Yan pursued him after mocking his claim that they had no grudge.
• Fan Lao spent more blood to escape Xiao Yan’s next strike, reappearing hundreds of meters away with his aura greatly weakened.

Xiao Yan defeated and killed Fan Lao, using Xiao Yi Xian’s spatial power and the hidden flames he had planted inside Fan Lao. After recovering the soul Dou Technique and Thunder God Descent, Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian left for the north so they could discuss her joining him for the Inner Academy entrance assessment.

• Fan Lao offered Xiao Yan a fake soul Dou Technique scroll and threatened to destroy it, but Xiao Yan shattered the scroll and Fan Lao’s hand with Mad Lion Roar.
• Fan Lao used a blood mist to appear beside Xiao Yi Xian, but Xiao Yan had already given her the Bone Flame Ring for protection.
• Xiao Yi Xian restrained Fan Lao with spatial power, and Xiao Yan detonated the hidden flames inside him and burned him to death.
• Xiao Yan took Fan Lao’s Storage Ring and found the soul Dou Technique and Thunder God Descent inside it.
• Xiao Yi Xian returned the Bone Flame Ring, and she and Xiao Yan flew north to avoid the arriving Eight Fan Sect members and prepare for her Inner Academy entrance assessment.