Recaps

After Ling Yuan's self-destruction ended the battle, the alliance counted its dead and wounded before securing control of the Spirit Realm. Xiao Yan remained focused on treating the injured as the alliance began turning the conquered realm into its base.

• Ling Yuan's explosion killed Pill Tower Elder He Ning and Yao Su, severely injured Yao Lao and other alliance fighters, and left Yao Ming badly wounded.
• The Spirit Clan's Great Elder Ling Cang survived the blast, surrendered to Yan Jin, and became the surviving clansmen's last source of hope.
• Over the next three days, Mu Wei and Yan Jin helped the alliance control the Spirit Realm and its clan-protecting formation while the Mountain River Dragon-Trapping Formation kept the realm sealed off.
• Xiao Yi Xian and Xuan Yi arrived with a second group of alliance members and took over much of the work of governing the Spirit Realm.
• Xiao Yan tried to assess the wounded and prepare medicines, but the others stopped him so he could recover from his own injuries and exhaustion.

After the Spirit Clan battle, Fire Cloud Ancestor died from his injuries and old age after asking Xiao Yan to keep the alliance fair and promising to remember Burning Flame Valley. Qing Lin then gave Yao Ming a cultivation method that explained how Yao Xiaotian had reached his level.

• Xiao Yan visited the dying Fire Cloud Ancestor, who refused a Bodhi Seed and asked him not to favor Burning Flame Valley at the alliance’s expense.
• Xiao Yan promised to honor Fire Cloud Ancestor’s wishes, but Fire Cloud Ancestor died three days later after shouting “Exhilarating!”
• Tang Zhen witnessed Fire Cloud Ancestor’s final moments, and Qing Shan later praised him as a true powerhouse at his funeral.
• Xiao Yan held back from using his authority to benefit Burning Flame Valley and left the matter for the future.
• Qing Lin summoned Yao Ming and gave him a jade slip containing the cultivation method that explained how Yao Xiaotian had reached his level.

Qing Lin rewarded Yao Ming with a powerful cultivation technique and made clear that she knew he remained troubled by her control over him. After accepting that his survival and prospects depended on serving her, Yao Ming hoped Qing Lin’s growing strength would leave him in less danger, while Xiao Yan learned that the Soul Clan prisoner’s soul had been altered to prevent interrogation.

• Qing Lin gave Yao Ming a cultivation technique as a reward for protecting her and Xiao Yan, and reminded him that she still needed a Nine Serene Deepground Python Clan chief who could serve her.
• Yao Ming realized that Qing Lin had compelled him to protect her and Xiao Yan during Ling Yuan’s self-destruction, and he accepted that resisting her was too dangerous.
• Yao Ming resolved to serve Qing Lin, believing her protection and the cultivation opportunity outweighed the risks of having his life under her control.
• Yan Jin told Xiao Yan that he could not interrogate Hun Mang because the Soul Clan man’s altered soul was destroyed whenever they approached important matters.
• Xiao Yan condemned the Soul Clan for tampering with one of its own people so ruthlessly.

Xiao Yan and Yan Jin discussed the Soul Clan’s strength, the surviving Spirit Clan, and the alliance’s plans, then Yan Jin brought Lei Jingxiao to the Spirit Realm. Xiao Yan agreed to take Lei Jingxiao into the next battle and accompanied him to visit the injured Zi Yan, intending to discuss a matter that had raised doubts for him.

• Yan Jin and Xiao Yan discussed the Soul Clan’s strength and considered how the alliance should handle the surviving Spirit Clan, postponing a decision until Xiao Yi Xian could present her plan.
• Yan Jin left to maintain the Mountain River Dragon-Trapping Formation and secretly transport alliance figures to the Spirit Realm.
• Yan Jin brought Lei Jingxiao to Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yan explained that he had kept him out of the raid so he could guard Starfall Pavilion.
• Lei Jingxiao asked Xiao Yan to take him into the next battle, and Xiao Yan promised to make him the vanguard.
• Lei Jingxiao learned that Zi Yan was injured and recovering in the Spirit Realm, so Xiao Yan offered to accompany him to visit her and discuss his doubts.

Xiao Yan asked Zi Yan about the strange power and Dragon Slayer Sword that had helped them kill Ling Xuanmo, but neither she nor Elder Qing Shan could explain what had happened. Lei Jingxiao revealed that his aunt’s research suggested Ancient Void Dragons could enhance the strength of those who fought alongside them, with the Dragon Slayer Sword involved.

• Xiao Yan and Lei Jingxiao visited Zi Yan, who had nearly recovered from her injuries and was eating medicinal pills.
• Xiao Yan asked Zi Yan why the Dragon Slayer Sword had appeared during their fight with Ling Xuanmo, and she explained that an unknown force had guided her to use it.
• Zi Yan said Elder Qing Shan also had no explanation for why Xiao Yan had wielded the Dragon Slayer Sword despite lacking Dragon Emperor bloodline.
• Lei Jingxiao brought up a rumor that Ancient Void Dragons were suited to be mounts, prompting Zi Yan to object.
• Lei Jingxiao said his aunt’s research on ancient ruins indicated Ancient Void Dragons could strengthen allies who fought beside them, partly through the Dragon Slayer Sword.

Xiao Yan questioned Lei Jingxiao about his strange connection to the Heavenly Demon Phoenix power within him, then visited the recovering Yao Lao. The chapter left Zi Yan and Lei Jingxiao heading off to spar while Xiao Yan checked that his teacher had no lingering injuries.

• Xiao Yan asked Lei Jingxiao why the Heavenly Demon Phoenix power had appeared in him, and Lei Jingxiao admitted he did not know the reason.
• Zi Yan challenged Lei Jingxiao to spar, and Xiao Yan approved as the two hurried outside.
• Xiao Yan visited Yao Lao and found Fairy Qing caring for him as he recovered from his injuries.
• Fairy Qing left Xiao Yan and Yao Lao alone, and Xiao Yan examined his teacher to make sure no hidden complications remained.

Xiao Yan and Yao Lao discussed securing the Spirit Emperor remnant soul fragments and using them to create a powerful War Puppet. As Xiao Yi Xian presented her plans for the alliance, she insisted that Xiao Yan announce them as its leader and husband.

• Yao Lao offered to bring Venerable Wind to help Xiao Yi Xian manage the alliance.
• Xiao Yan gave Yao Lao the Spirit Emperor remnant soul fragments, and Yao Lao sealed them for safety.
• Xiao Yan explained that he would use the fragments with a three-star Dou Sheng body to craft a War Puppet.
• Yao Lao offered to select powerful Dou Techniques for Xiao Yan from the Spirit Clan's Library Pavilion.
• Xiao Yi Xian handed Xiao Yan her alliance proposals and explained why he should present them to the experts.

Xiao Yan persuaded Xiao Yi Xian to speak at the alliance assembly, then joined the gathered leaders and powerhouses to formalize their alliance after taking control of the Spirit Realm. The assembly began choosing a name, and Xiao Yan proposed calling it the Heavenly Mansion.

• Xiao Yan convinced Xiao Yi Xian to attend the assembly and share her views, assuring her that he trusted her judgment.
• One month after the surprise attack, the alliance held its second assembly with leaders and Dou Sheng powerhouses from its major factions.
• Xiao Yan opened the meeting and urged everyone to discuss the alliance's unfinished affairs freely.
• Xuan Yi proposed naming the alliance, and Elder Qingmu and others suggested names that drew mixed reactions.
• Xiao Yan proposed the Heavenly Mansion as a name that would correspond to the Soul Hall.

The alliance chose Origin Return Manor as its name and turned to deciding how to handle the Spirit Clan descendants. Xiao Yi Xian proposed sparing ordinary descendants for their strength while killing every core member, and Elder Lin warned that an incomplete purge could create future danger.

• Yao Qingyu proposed Origin Return Manor, and most of the gathering approved the name for the alliance and its realm.
• Xiao Yan raised the question of what to do with the Spirit Clan descendants, and Yao Ming argued for eliminating them all.
• Fairy Hua and the Pill Tower opposed killing every descendant, while Xiao Yan said they should be left a path to survive but prevented from becoming a threat.
• Xiao Yi Xian proposed using the descendants as a force against the Soul Clan and Ancient Clan while executing all Spirit Clan core members.
• Elder Lin supported eliminating the core figures and asked how the alliance would prevent survivors from causing trouble after the purge.

Xiao Yi Xian presented a plan to control the Spirit Clan’s descendants and bloodline while avoiding their complete extermination, and the alliance approved it. The leaders then turned to the unresolved question of how their factions would be integrated and represented in Origin Return Manor.

• Xiao Yi Xian proposed keeping the Spirit Realm locked down, conducting three purges, secretly eliminating those who cooperated with the alliance, and controlling the Spirit Clan’s bloodlines and inherited techniques.
• Xiao Yi Xian said the alliance would also cultivate selected orphans from the Spirit Clan to win over descendants and make use of their potential.
• Yan Jin warned that the Spirit Clan’s bloodlines could produce unexpected threats, and Xiao Yi Xian answered that the alliance could test and control promising descendants as they grew.
• Yan Jin accepted Xiao Yi Xian’s safeguards, and the assembled experts approved her plan for the Spirit Clan.
• The leaders began discussing how the factions would be integrated into Origin Return Manor and what positions, influence, and resources each would receive.

Xiao Yi Xian presented Origin Return Manor’s new structure, called “one manor, nine pavilions,” and assigned provisional leaders to its central authority and several specialized pavilions. She left the alliance awaiting the remaining appointments as the chapter ended.

• Elder Qingmu urged Xiao Yan and the alliance leaders to settle the division of responsibilities, and Xiao Yan asked Xiao Yi Xian to present the plan.
• Xiao Yi Xian announced that Origin Return Manor’s highest decision-making body would be the Star Pavilion, open to Dou Sheng elders, the Manor Lord, and the other Pavilion Masters.
• Xiao Yi Xian named Yan Jin provisional Pavilion Master of the Fire Separation Pavilion and Empress Qing Lin provisional Pavilion Master of the Dark Nether Pavilion.
• After pausing over the difficult choice, Xiao Yi Xian named the Pill Tower Ancestor provisional Pavilion Master of the Qing Mu Pavilion for healing and pill refinement.
• Xiao Yi Xian named Empress Zi Yan, Master Mu Wei, Fairy Hua, and Miss Huo Zhi provisional Pavilion Masters of the Sumeru, Origin Talisman, Unity, and Nurturing Virtue pavilions, respectively.

Xiao Yi Xian introduced Origin Return Manor’s nine-pavilion structure, including Unity Pavilion, and the gathered leaders discussed its responsibilities and rules. The arrangement remained provisional as the Pill Tower Ancestor learned he could eventually transfer his pavilion position to someone else.

• Xiao Yi Xian appointed Huo Zhi to oversee the younger generation’s cultivation training.
• Xiao Yi Xian established Unity Pavilion to encourage families across the alliance’s human and magical-beast factions, naming Venerable Wind its provisional Pavilion Master.
• Yao Lao teased Venerable Wind about his devotion to Mu Zi'er, and Venerable Wind retaliated by announcing that he would arrange Yao Chen’s wedding.
• Yao Lao deflected the attention from Fairy Hua and Xuan Yi as the gathered leaders reacted to Venerable Wind’s announcement.
• The Pill Tower Ancestor asked how a Pavilion Master could relinquish the position, and Xiao Yi Xian explained that a transfer required the current master’s proposal and approval from more than three-quarters of a Star Pavilion vote.
• Xiao Yi Xian said the nine-pavilion plan was provisional and would be adjusted based on feedback.

Xiao Yi Xian presented Origin Return Manor’s responsibilities and oversaw a meeting that approved a six-month trial period. Xiao Yan and Yan Jin then went to meet Ling Cang after he requested to speak with them, finding the grieving Spirit Clan elder changed by his clan’s destruction.

• Xiao Yi Xian proposed a framework for Origin Return Manor’s responsibilities, and the gathered leaders discussed adjustments and approved a six-month trial period.
• Xiao Yan decided to let Xiao Yi Xian take the lead so she could establish herself as capable of overseeing the Manor’s affairs.
• Xiao Yan learned that Ling Cang had requested a meeting and went with Yan Jin to see him.
• Xiao Yan and Yan Jin found Ling Cang imprisoned in a makeshift hall, looking dejected and despairing after the Spirit Clan’s destruction.
• Ling Cang told Xiao Yan and Yan Jin that, as someone who should have died long ago, whether he had been well no longer mattered.

Ling Cang offered to reveal the Spirit Clan’s resources and secrets in exchange for Xiao Yan sparing most of its descendants. Xiao Yan agreed to protect the majority while warning that the clan’s leaders and those who continued to resist would be eliminated.

• Ling Cang offered Origin Return Manor the Spirit Clan’s cultivation methods, research, grand formation details, and information about its core members.
• Xiao Yan asked what Ling Cang wanted in return for his cooperation.
• Ling Cang pleaded for the lives of ordinary Spirit Clan descendants who had not been involved in the clan’s actions.
• Xiao Yan agreed to spare most of the Spirit Clan’s descendants but said he would eliminate its upper ranks and anyone who continued to oppose him.
• Yan Jin confirmed that Xiao Yan spoke for Origin Return Manor, and Xiao Yan promised not to exterminate everyone carrying Spirit Clan blood.

Ling Cang helped Xiao Yan establish control over the Spirit Clan and fulfilled his promise by sharing its resources and secrets. After completing his duties, Ling Cang chose to end his life, and Xiao Yan allowed him to do so.

• Ling Cang agreed to help Xiao Yan, and Origin Return Manor reorganized its factions into one manor and nine pavilions.
• Ling Cang provided the Spirit Clan's resources, formation secrets, and clan mark, helping Origin Return Manor consolidate control in a few months.
• Ling Cang told Xiao Yan that he had finished everything he could do for the Spirit Clan and could not accompany him any further.
• Ling Cang asked Xiao Yan for permission to die, explaining that he was weary and wanted to seek forgiveness from the Spirit Clan's ancestors.
• Xiao Yan accepted Ling Cang's wish, and Ling Cang unleashed his soul force in a self-destructive surge.

After Xiao Yan killed Ling Cang, he laid his remains to rest and felt the burden of the Spirit Clan campaign lift. More than a month later, he learned that Elder Lin, Huo Zhen, and Yao Lao were each preparing to refine a Tier 9 Medicinal Pill, prompting rumors of an alchemy contest.

• Xiao Yan contained the surging soul energy as Ling Cang's soul disintegrated, then collected his body and decided the Spirit Clan must not learn of his death yet.
• Xiao Yan cremated Ling Cang's remains and placed them in the Spirit Clan's ancestral shrine, choosing not to turn his body into a puppet.
• Xiao Yan felt the pressure of the Spirit Clan campaign finally lift and resolved to keep growing stronger.
• Over the following month, Xiao Yan handled Origin Return Manor's affairs and planned medicinal pills.
• Huo Fan told Xiao Yan that Elder Lin, Huo Zhen, and Yao Lao had scheduled Tier 9 Medicinal Pill refinements within four months, and Xiao Yan considered whether they meant to settle rumors about who was the strongest alchemist.

Xiao Yan learned that Origin Return Manor’s three Ninth-grade Alchemists were refining pills to inspire its disciples and strengthen the alliance, and Huo Xiao urged him to join them. He considered testing whether he had reached the ninth grade, while weighing the difficult requirements for gaining the Void Heavenly Emperor’s help against the Ancient Clan and Soul Clan alliance.

• Xiao Yan pieced together that the three great Alchemists were taking turns refining Tier 9 Medicinal Pills for rivalry and to benefit Origin Return Manor’s disciples.
• Huo Xiao told Xiao Yan that the manor’s disciples were eager for him to take part in the alchemy contest, and he said he would consider it after Elder Lin succeeded.
• Xiao Yan reflected that his experience had prepared him for the ninth grade, but he remained unsure whether he had crossed that threshold.
• Xiao Yan considered asking the Void Heavenly Emperor to help Origin Return Manor, but first he would need to repair the gap in the Douqi Continent.
• Xiao Yan recognized that repairing the gap required Five-Star Dou Saint strength, ninth-grade alchemy, and a top-three Heavenly Flame, all of which remained difficult for him to obtain.

Xiao Yan watched Elder Lin refine a ninth-tier pill and used its lightning tribulation to advance his soul cultivation, while Xun Er broke through to one-star Dou Sheng. News then reached Origin Return Manor that the Soul Clan and Ancient Clan had seized the Stone Clan’s Tou She Ancient God Jade, prompting the manor and Star Pavilion to convene as their allies began uniting against the threat.

• Xun Er emerged from seclusion after breaking through to one-star Dou Sheng, aided by the Bodhi Seed pill that healed her injuries and loosened her bloodline restriction.
• Elder Lin successfully refined a ninth-tier medicinal pill, and Xiao Yan endured its lightning tribulation while cultivating, loosening the bottleneck in his Heavenly State Soul.
• Several Origin Return Manor disciples tried to cultivate in pill lightning after seeing Xiao Yan, but the elders warned them to stop.
• Xiao Yan announced that the Soul Clan and Ancient Clan had ambushed the Stone Realm, seized its Tou She Ancient God Jade, and killed nearly half of the Stone Clan’s experts.
• Yao Ming reported that the Stone Clan, Yao Clan, and Thunder Clan had begun openly gathering their forces to face the Ancient Clan and Soul Clan.

After learning that the Soul Clan and Ancient Clan had devastated the Stone Clan, Origin Return Manor agreed to seek an alliance with the Three Emperor Clans Alliance. Xiao Yan and his companions examined secret information from an unknown Ancient Clan insider, and Xun'er warned that even accurate intelligence might serve the Ancient Clan's own interests.

• Elder Lin said the Stone Clan's swift defeat showed that the Soul Clan and Ancient Clan could attack any force before it could respond.
• Yao Lao urged Origin Return Manor to unite with the Three Emperor Clans Alliance, and the gathered leaders agreed that they needed allies.
• Yan Jin said the Three Emperor Clans Alliance would likely approach them after learning from the Stone Clan's defeat.
• Yan Jin met privately with Xiao Yan, Yao Lao, Xun'er, and Xiao Yi Xian, and Xiao Yan confirmed that a secret message had accurately predicted the Spirit Clan's location and a coming upheaval.
• Xun'er cautioned that the Ancient Clan's insider might be using Origin Return Manor's success in taking the Spirit Realm to advance the clan's own plans.

Xiao Yan’s group assessed the Ancient Clan’s motives and arranged an alliance mission while Xiao Yan chose to cultivate in the Heavenly Tomb. There, Xiao Xuan explained that Xiao Yan’s strange power during the Spirit Clan battle may have come from the Ancient Void Dragon Clan’s imperial bloodline, dragon blood, and the Nihility Devouring Flame’s Sub-Flame.

• Xun'er argued that the Ancient Clan might be using the attack on the Soul Clan to protect its own interests, and Xiao Yi Xian advised treating any intelligence cautiously.
• Xiao Yi Xian proposed discussing an alliance with the Thunder Clan, and Xiao Yan assigned Yan Jin to lead the negotiations while he entered seclusion.
• Xiao Yan and Xun'er entered the Heavenly Tomb, where they told Xiao Xuan about the Stone Clan’s destruction and Xiao Yan’s battle with the Spirit Clan.
• Xiao Xuan said the Ancient Void Dragon Clan could loosely be considered a Dou God Clan and explained that its imperial bloodline carried abilities that could not be recorded.
• Xiao Xuan speculated that Xiao Yan’s dragon blood and the Nihility Devouring Flame’s Sub-Flame had let him absorb excess power from an Ancient Void Dragon, causing his strange changes.

Xiao Yan asked Xiao Xuan to verify the Spirit Emperor's remnant soul and learned that it could strengthen his War Puppet. As Xiao Yan began a long period of seclusion, Xiao Xuan passed on his powerful Heaven Class Dou Technique, while the Central Plains' shifting balance left the quiet Pill Tower vulnerable to rumors of defeat.

• Xiao Xuan confirmed that the Spirit Emperor's remnant soul had no consciousness and could be used to strengthen Xiao Yan's War Puppet.
• Xiao Yan said he planned to spend at least ten years in seclusion to improve his strength.
• Xiao Xuan offered Xiao Yan the Dou Technique he had created after reaching Dou Sheng and explained how he had refined it into a high-grade Heaven Class technique.
• Xiao Xuan sent the technique's information into Xiao Yan's mind, and Xiao Yan was astonished by its power.
• People across the Central Plains noticed Soul Hall's growing prominence and the Pill Tower's silence, prompting rumors that the Pill Tower had lost their struggle.

A team of seven Dou Zuns from Origin Return Manor traveled to claim a newly discovered mineral vein, hoping to earn contribution points and access to the Heavenly Tomb. At the vein, Yan Ling detected Soul Hall members inside, and the team prepared to confront them.

• Xiao Yu led six other young Dou Zuns toward a mineral vein identified by intelligence from the Dark Nether Pavilion.
• Refinement joked about the information, and Yao Yang rebuked him for speaking carelessly about the Dark Nether Pavilion and its master, Qing Lin.
• The team discussed earning contribution points to cultivate in the Heavenly Tomb, and members teased Yan Xi Wen about his connection to Tang Huo'er.
• Yan Ling sensed people inside the vein and identified them as Soul Hall members with no Dou Zuns among them.
• Tang Meng complained that the Soul Hall group might only be guardians, but the team remained eager to attack and earn contribution points.

Lianhua infiltrated a group of Soul Hall Protectors and learned that a deadly soul fluctuation lay deep inside the ore vein. After Yan Yu’s group killed the Protectors, they debated whether to enter the dangerous ruins, and most favored going in for the possible reward.

• Yan Yu asked Yan Ling whether any Soul Hall Venerables were nearby, then sent the group to search the perimeter while Lianhua approached the Protectors.
• Lianhua posed as a Soul Hall elder and learned that the Protectors had discovered a powerful soul fluctuation deep in the Blazing Sun Iron vein, which had swallowed two of their men.
• Lianhua killed the eight Soul Hall Protectors, seized their souls and Storage Rings, and reported what he had learned to Yan Yu.
• Yan Yu explained that the group could leave and report their findings or enter the vein, while Tang Meng, Mu Xiaoyue, and Yan Ling favored taking the risk.

Seven young Dou Zun experts entered a hidden relic and opened an ancient box, releasing a hostile soul that possessed Yan Xiwen. The others tried to drive it out but were thrown back as the soul announced its escape.

• The group reviewed the Origin Return Rankings and agreed to explore the mineral vein’s lowest level.
• The seven crossed a soul vortex and discovered a cramped relic containing an ancient box.
• Yao Yang used a snake soul to open the box, releasing a foul odor and a fast-moving soul force.
• The released soul entered Yan Xiwen and caused his body and soul to become chaotic.
• Refinement tried to extract the soul, but Yan Xiwen’s body unleashed a soul impact that blasted the group away.
• The possessing soul smiled and declared that it had finally escaped.

An ancient soul that had seized Yan Yu's body overwhelmed the Origin Return Manor squad, while Yan Yu fought it with his saber and briefly managed to surprise it. The soul threw Yan Yu from the mine, leaving the entire squad pinned and helpless.

• The soul inside Yan Yu revealed that it had escaped its confinement in a Dou Zun body and attacked the Origin Return Manor squad.
• The soul used its overwhelming power to throw Mu Xiaoyue and the other squad members out of the mine, while Refinement covered it in black mist.
• Yan Yu attacked the soul, but its power stopped his strike and forced him to defend with ice-crystal armor.
• Yan Yu fought the soul with his saber, sharpening his technique under pressure and buying time for his companions to alert Origin Return Manor's headquarters.
• Yan Yu caught the soul off guard with a prepared crescent slash that cut a strand of its hair, but the soul soon threw him out of the mine.
• Yan Yu saw his companions pinned to the ground by the soul's power and realized his plan to delay it had failed.