Chapter Summaries

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.

Possessed Xi Wen restrained Yan Yu and the others while learning about the continent, then tried to escape after hearing that Xi Wen was a descendant of the Flame Clan. Lei Qingyue struck him down and introduced himself to Yan Yu as a member of the Thunder Clan.

• Xi Wen seized control of his body, restrained Tang Meng, and took the teleportation jade talisman.
• Xi Wen questioned Yan Yu, who explained the continent’s situation and revealed that Xi Wen was a descendant of the Flame Clan.
• Xi Wen dismissed Yan Yu’s warning and prepared to leave, but Lei Qingyue appeared and challenged him.
• Xi Wen tried to flee through a spatial vortex, but Lei Qingyue’s blue-black lightning struck him and knocked him unconscious.
• Lei Qingyue took control of Xi Wen and told Yan Yu that he was from the Thunder Clan.

Lei Qingyue escorted Yan Yu’s group safely to Origin Return Realm and met with Xiao Yi Xian and Yao Lao. He revealed that he had come to take away Lei Jingxiao and discuss several matters with Origin Return Manor.

• Lei Qingyue joined Yan Yu’s group on their journey to Origin Return Manor and increased Refinement’s cultivation speed with his Dou Qi after pressuring him.
• Lei Qingyue and the group reached Origin Return Realm, where the grand formation required his identity to be verified before he could enter.
• Xiao Yi Xian welcomed Lei Qingyue and received his praise for her management of Origin Return Manor.
• Yao Lao met Lei Qingyue, who recognized him as a former Yao Clan youth and remarked on the clan’s stubbornness toward him.
• Lei Qingyue told Yao Lao that he had come to take away Lei Jingxiao and inform Origin Return Manor about several matters.

Lei Qingyue came to Origin Return Manor to bring Lei Jingxiao back to the Thunder Clan, then returned Yan Xiwen, who was controlled by a powerful soul from a relic. Xiao Yi Xian and Yao Lao restrained Yan Xiwen and planned to investigate the soul and find a way to save him.

• Lei Qingyue told Lei Jingxiao that his aunt had sent him home, and Lei Jingxiao agreed to leave after hearing a private message.
• Lei Jingxiao bid farewell to Zi Yan and followed Lei Qingyue back to the Thunder Clan.
• Lei Qingyue brought the controlled Yan Xiwen to Origin Return Manor, where Yao Lao sensed a strange soul inside him.
• Yao Lao restrained Yan Xiwen, and Xiao Yi Xian explained that they needed to identify the soul before they could save him.
• Yan Yu, Mu Xiaoyue, and the rest of Yan Xiwen’s team offered to help, and Xiao Yi Xian sent them to rest while promising to arrange his rescue.

Xiao Yan emerged from seclusion with Xun Er after advancing to the late stage of three-star Dou Sheng, and Origin Return Manor’s disciples celebrated his return. He and Xun Er discussed their cultivation before turning to the important matters awaiting them.

• Xiao Yi Xian and Yao Lao decided to call Xiao Yan out of the Heavenly Tomb to address the situation involving the Thunder Clan and Yao Clan.
• Xiao Yan and Xun Er emerged from seclusion amid a spectacular display of Heavenly Flames, and Origin Return Manor’s disciples cheered for their Manor Lord.
• A voice from the core region identified Xiao Yan and ordered the disciples not to cause a disturbance.
• Xiao Yan told Xun Er that he had reached the late stage of three-star Dou Sheng after absorbing the remaining Bodhisattva Heart energy, taking a ninth-tier medicinal pill, and cultivating in the Heavenly Tomb for nearly fifteen years.
• Xun Er said she had reached the early stage of three-star Dou Sheng and teased Xiao Yan about being stronger.

Jiang Yunyan worried that Lei Jingxiao was not yet strong enough to face the challenge ahead, despite his progress and Xiao Yan’s support. When Lei Jingxiao returned, she tested his confidence and received a Bodhi Seed from Xiao Yan through him.

• Lei Qingyue told Jiang Yunyan that Lei Jingxiao had reached Early-Stage Two-Star Dou Sheng but had only about a thirty percent chance against Lei Dong.
• Jiang Yunyan worried that Lei Jingxiao had not changed enough and feared she had failed to protect and raise him, while Lei Qingyue reassured her.
• Lei Jingxiao returned and told Jiang Yunyan he had become a Two-Star Dou Saint.
• Jiang Yunyan challenged Lei Jingxiao by comparing him to Xiao Yan, and Lei Jingxiao admitted Xiao Yan was exceptional.
• Lei Jingxiao gave Jiang Yunyan a precious wooden box from Xiao Yan, and she found a Bodhi Seed inside.

Lei Jingxiao returned to the Thunder Clan to compete against Lei Dong for the heir position, while Xiao Yan and his companions discussed the Thunder Clan selection and the Yao Clan’s Medicine Ceremony. They suspected the events were part of a wider effort by the Dou God Clans to resist the Soul Clan and Ancient Clan, though the Yao Clan had not directly invited Origin Return Manor.

• Lei Jingxiao told Jiang Yunyan that Xiao Yan had given him a Bodhi Seed, which helped him advance to a two-star Dou Sheng.
• Jiang Yunyan and Lei Qingyue confirmed that Lei Jingxiao was returning to challenge Lei Dong for the Thunder Clan heir position.
• At Origin Return Manor, Xiao Yi Xian told Xiao Yan that Lei Qingyue had invited them to attend the Thunder Clan heir selection.
• Yan Yuan explained that the Yao Clan’s Medicine Ceremony activated a Dou Di formation that supplied enough spiritual energy for multiple alchemists to refine tier-nine pills at once.
• Xiao Yi Xian connected the Thunder Clan selection and Yao Clan ceremony to their alliance and noted that the Yao Clan had not invited Origin Return Manor directly.