Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Failure...? Impossible”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Meng attempts to refine a Fifth-Grade pill using the Myriad Furnace God, despite admitting that he has never successfully refined even a Fourth-Grade pill.
• The pill develops black, green, and red mist and cracks across its surface, showing that the refinement is on the verge of failure and may cause the furnace to explode.
• Rather than abandon the pill, Xiao Meng removes it from the furnace, crushes it, and uses the Pill Dao Nirvana Technique, an advanced method inherited from the Swagger Emperor and Medicine God.
• He reforms the crushed pill and subjects it to Fire Nirvana, causing it to melt, regenerate, and become encased in a golden cocoon.
• After more than two hours, the cocoon cracks. Although everyone initially fears another failure, the cracking signals the cocoon’s successful transformation.
• The resulting emerald-green pill is smooth, radiant, and surrounded by an almost immortal-like aura. Xiao Meng successfully completes the Fifth-Grade pill.
• The process leaves Xiao Meng nearly exhausted. He consumes various spiritual herbs indiscriminately to recover, shocking those around him with his crude but effective behavior.
• After recovering, Xiao Meng immediately begins refining again to improve his proficiency. A second pill succeeds, though its quality is slightly lower.
• By the following day, he successfully refines Otto’s Detoxification Pill on his first attempt.
• In total, Xiao Meng produces three Fifth-Grade pills from only three sets of ingredients, astonishing Otto, Frank, Feilin, and the others.

2. Character Development

• Xiao Meng demonstrates extraordinary confidence, adaptability, and talent. He remains calm and arrogant even when his pill appears ruined, relying on an unfamiliar technique for the first time.
• His successful use of the Pill Dao Nirvana Technique reveals that he can overcome major limitations through knowledge, courage, and improvisation.
• Despite his impressive achievement, Xiao Meng retains his shameless, boastful personality, joking about marrying Feilin and calling the Fifth-Grade pill “nothing special.”
• His physical and spiritual exhaustion shows the heavy cost of his breakthrough, but his determination drives him to continue refining almost immediately.
• Otto and Frank shift from despair to awe and admiration. Their doubts about Xiao Meng’s reliability are replaced by genuine respect for his alchemical ability.
• Feilin and Xue Mei become intensely nervous and emotionally invested in Xiao Meng’s success. Feilin’s concern is mixed with irritation at his teasing.
• Feilin’s father remains skeptical and bewildered, recognizing that Xiao Meng’s achievement is nearly impossible for someone of his age and experience.

3. Significant Themes

• Defying conventional limits: Xiao Meng skips the normal progression from lower-grade pills to higher-grade pills, challenging the belief that advancement must follow a fixed path.
• Failure as transformation: What appears to be a failed refinement becomes the foundation for a superior result through the Pill Dao Nirvana Technique.
• Confidence versus recklessness: Xiao Meng’s boldness enables him to attempt the impossible, though his lack of conventional experience makes his success seem reckless to others.
• Perseverance and innovation: Xiao Meng does not give up when the pill cracks; instead, he experiments with an unfamiliar method and succeeds.
• The gap between appearance and reality: The cracking cocoon initially resembles another failure, but it actually marks the pill’s successful rebirth.
• Talent and effort: Xiao Meng’s innate ability is remarkable, but his continued practice and repeated refinement show that mastery also requires experience.

4. Character Interactions

• Otto and Frank anxiously watch the refinement, moving back when Xiao Meng warns them of danger. Their fear turns into excitement when the pill succeeds.
• Xiao Meng reassures them with arrogant remarks, insisting that he cannot fail even though he has never refined a Fourth-Grade pill.
• Feilin and Xue Mei silently support him, clenching their fists and hoping to witness a historic miracle.
• When Feilin questions his lack of Fourth-Grade experience, Xiao Meng provokes her by suggesting that her father marry her to him as a concubine. Feilin becomes furious and threatens to beat him.
• Xiao Meng wisely retreats from the argument, then behaves crudely by eating assorted spiritual herbs to restore his strength.
• Otto and the others wait patiently while he recovers and later watch in amazement as he continues refining.
• The chapter ends with the group stunned by Xiao Meng’s extraordinary success rate and growing respect for his alchemical talent.

Chapter Summary: “Ambush on the Road”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After refining the Detoxification Pill, Xiao Meng is persuaded to remain in the Alchemist Association for two additional days. Otto and Frank eagerly seek his guidance in alchemy, while Xiao Meng jokes with them and their apprentices, Xue Mei and Feilin.
• Determined to leave, Xiao Meng says goodbye despite Otto and Frank’s emotional pleas. Frank warns him that members of the Ku He Clan may ambush him outside Black Rock City, since Feng Li’s protection prevents them from attacking within the city.
• At the city gate, Feng Li offers to escort Xiao Meng or protect him if trouble arises. Xiao Meng teases him about trying to make him a son-in-law, leaving Feng Li amused and vaguely hopeful.
• Xiao Meng purchases a tamed Black-Scaled Wolf and travels away from the city. Less than a hundred li later, he enters a mountain gorge and is surrounded by twenty-six enemies from the Ku He Clan.
• The attackers include Meng Kun, Ku He’s uncle and a three-star Dou Ling, a powerful one-star Dou Ling wielding a massive iron hammer, and numerous Da Dou Shi ranging from one to nine stars.
• Believing Xiao Meng to be defenseless outside the city, Meng Kun declares that the gorge will be his grave. Xiao Meng reveals through his confidence that he anticipated the ambush and considers the attackers foolish for underestimating him.
• When the Da Dou Shi charge, Xiao Meng uses the third finger of the Great Desolate Heaven-Imprisoning Finger, the earth-tier low-grade technique Life-Extinguishing Spirit. The attack instantly kills six attackers and knocks out or cripples two more, shocking the surviving enemies.
• Enraged, Meng Kun and the hammer-wielding Dou Ling attack Xiao Meng together. Xiao Meng becomes serious, kicks the frightened wolf out of danger, and evades their first attacks with extraordinary speed while forming seals for another technique. The chapter ends with the two opponents stunned by the unfamiliar Dou Technique he begins to use.

Character Developments

• Xiao Meng remains playful and irreverent in conversation, teasing Otto, Frank, Xue Mei, Feilin, and Feng Li. Beneath his humor, however, he is highly confident, perceptive, and fully prepared for the planned ambush.
• His combat strength is demonstrated dramatically: he treats ordinary Da Dou Shi as insignificant and destroys most of them with a single technique.
• Otto and Frank have grown emotionally attached to Xiao Meng and regard him as both a teacher and close companion. Their normally rigid personalities have become more relaxed through their time with him.
• Feng Li shows genuine concern for Xiao Meng’s safety and offers him protection. Xiao Meng’s teasing hints at the possibility of a closer relationship between him and Feng Li’s family.
• Meng Kun is introduced as vengeful and arrogant. His confidence collapses into disbelief and fury after Xiao Meng annihilates much of his force.
• The two Dou Ling attackers initially underestimate Xiao Meng but are forced to recognize that he is far more dangerous than expected.

Significant Themes

• Underestimation and hidden power: The ambushers assume Xiao Meng is vulnerable because he travels alone, but he has anticipated their plans and possesses overwhelming techniques.
• Humor amid danger: Xiao Meng’s constant teasing contrasts with the deadly situation, reinforcing his fearless personality and control over events.
• Loyalty and protection: Otto, Frank, and Feng Li demonstrate concern for Xiao Meng, while the Ku He Clan’s attack reflects revenge and factional hostility.
• Power hierarchy and escalation: The battle moves from Xiao Meng effortlessly destroying Da Dou Shi to a more serious confrontation against two Dou Ling opponents, setting up a greater test of his abilities.
• Confidence versus arrogance: Xiao Meng’s confidence is supported by actual strength, whereas the attackers’ arrogance stems from faulty assumptions about his abilities.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Meng mocks Otto and Frank’s attempts to keep him at the association, joking about their teacher-student relationship and claiming they must honor him like a father.
• He playfully provokes Xue Mei and Feilin, embarrassing them when he implies Otto and Frank may want him to remain because of the two young women.
• Feng Li offers Xiao Meng an escort and future protection, but Xiao Meng responds by joking that Feng Li wants him as a son-in-law.
• Meng Kun and the hammer-wielding Dou Ling confront Xiao Meng with threats and insults, confident that they have trapped him.
• Xiao Meng answers their hostility with pity and sarcasm before decisively demonstrating the gap between his strength and that of the Da Dou Shi attackers.

Chapter Summary: “Demonic Lotus Slaughter Formation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Meng rapidly forms a powerful battle formation using roughly a hundred battle seals. The energy generated alarms Meng Kun, the gorilla-like man, and the surrounding Da Dou Shi, who mistake it for an Earth-tier battle technique.
• Meng Kun realizes that Xiao Meng’s technique poses a deadly threat and orders the gorilla-like man to attack him before the formation is completed.
• Meng Kun and the gorilla-like man launch coordinated assaults: Meng Kun uses Heavenly Wolf Claw, while the gorilla-like man attacks with his heavy iron hammer. Xiao Meng avoids their attacks through speed, afterimages, and battle experience gained during two months in the Beast Mountain Range.
• Meng Kun calls on the other Da Dou Shi to help surround Xiao Meng. Their combined attacks eventually reduce Xiao Meng’s advantage, but he remains calm because the formation is nearly complete.
• Xiao Meng successfully deploys the third-grade Demonic Lotus Slaughter Formation, revealing that his technique is a formation rather than an Earth-tier battle skill.
• The dark lotus-shaped formation erupts and instantly annihilates more than a dozen Da Dou Shi, demonstrating the overwhelming gap between Da Dou Shi and Dou Ling-level combatants.
• Xiao Meng turns the formation against Meng Kun and the gorilla-like man. Terrified by its power, Meng Kun decides to sacrifice the gorilla-like man to delay Xiao Meng while he prepares his next move.

Character Developments

• Xiao Meng displays exceptional composure, tactical awareness, and confidence. His training in the Beast Mountain Range has greatly improved his ability to evade and withstand attacks from stronger opponents.
• He reveals that he has cultivated a powerful third-grade battle formation and possesses enough reserves of Origin Force and True Essence to sustain it.
• Xiao Meng’s personality becomes more ruthless and openly vengeful. He declares that anyone who tries to kill him will be exterminated without mercy.
• Meng Kun shifts from arrogance to alarm as he recognizes the danger posed by Xiao Meng. Although he initially refuses to retreat, his desperation grows after the deaths of his clan members.
• The gorilla-like man remains a powerful but straightforward fighter. His shock at Meng Kun’s decision suggests that he realizes he is being used as a sacrifice.
• The surrounding Da Dou Shi are shown to be ineffective against Xiao Meng’s formation, emphasizing their inferiority in the battle.

Significant Themes

• Preparation and hidden strength: Xiao Meng’s success comes from planning ahead, cultivating the formation after learning of the Ku He Clan’s Dou Ling ancestor, and practicing it repeatedly before battle.
• Power disparity: The chapter emphasizes the immense gap between Da Dou Shi and Dou Ling cultivators, while also showing that powerful techniques and formations can allow a weaker cultivator to challenge stronger enemies.
• Calm versus panic: Xiao Meng remains composed under pressure, while Meng Kun and his allies become increasingly frightened and desperate.
• Ruthlessness and survival: Xiao Meng follows a strict principle of eliminating those who threaten him, while Meng Kun proves willing to sacrifice an ally to preserve himself.
• Misjudgment: Meng Kun incorrectly assumes Xiao Meng is only a Nine-Star Da Dou Shi using an Earth-tier technique, failing to understand the true nature and preparation behind the formation.

Character Interactions

• Meng Kun and the gorilla-like man cooperate in a coordinated attack but are unable to hit Xiao Meng.
• Xiao Meng repeatedly mocks Meng Kun for relying on his subordinates, provoking the older cultivator and exposing tensions within the opposing group.
• Meng Kun orders the other Da Dou Shi into battle, treating them as expendable reinforcements.
• After Xiao Meng destroys the Da Dou Shi, he directly taunts Meng Kun and the gorilla-like man before attacking them.
• The chapter ends with Meng Kun calmly instructing the gorilla-like man to hold Xiao Meng back, making clear that he intends to use his companion as a shield or sacrifice.

Chapter Summary: “Kill Meng Kun (Please Subscribe)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Meng Kun begins using the forbidden Wolf Transformation Technique to gain enough strength to defeat Xiao Meng. Although the technique will damage or shorten his life, Meng Kun believes sacrificing his future is worthwhile if it saves the Meng Clan.
• While Meng Kun prepares, his gorilla-like subordinate launches a desperate attack with his iron hammer, using the powerful “Critical Strike Form.”
• Xiao Meng counters with the Demonic Lotus Slaughter Formation, creating a massive black spear from the demonic lotus. Despite the subordinate’s full-strength attack, Xiao Meng’s spear remains unmoved.
• Xiao Meng detonates the black spear, shattering the hammer, severely injuring the gorilla-like man, and leaving him near death.
• Meng Kun completes his transformation, becoming a terrifying ghostly green wolf with immense strength and killing intent. Xiao Meng retreats from his attempt to finish the injured subordinate and turns his attention to Meng Kun.
• To fight the transformed Meng Kun, Xiao Meng merges the demonic lotus into his own body, effectively becoming the spirit of the formation. He creates a smaller black spear and engages Meng Kun in close combat.
• The battle becomes a prolonged and brutal contest. Meng Kun’s claws, jaws, and physical strength overwhelm Xiao Meng at times, while Xiao Meng relies on the spear’s penetrating power, his tough body, and his tactical use of explosive attacks.
• Xiao Meng suffers several blows and is thrown into a mountainside, but he continues fighting and taunting Meng Kun. He eventually damages Meng Kun’s claw and smashes off his tail, mocking him as a “tailless dog.”
• After several hours, both fighters are exhausted. Xiao Meng tricks Meng Kun into biting the black spear again, then detonates it while Meng Kun is holding it. The explosion leaves Meng Kun horribly mutilated, with his face and forelegs badly destroyed.
• As Xiao Meng approaches to finish him, he suspects Meng Kun is preparing to self-destruct. Meng Kun suddenly lunges, confirming Xiao Meng’s fears and attempting to drag him to death.
• At the last moment, Xiao Meng uses his AK-47 to fire three bullets, killing Meng Kun and surviving the suicide attack.
• Xiao Meng then kills the unconscious gorilla-like subordinate, loots both enemies, and escapes on the trembling Black-Scaled Wolf.
• Several figures arrive afterward. Unsure whether they belong to the City Lord’s Manor, the Alchemist Association, or the enemy forces, Xiao Meng chooses to leave rather than risk further complications.

Character Developments

• Xiao Meng demonstrates overwhelming combat ability, resilience, and adaptability. Although Meng Kun’s transformed body is stronger physically, Xiao Meng compensates with strategy, magical formation techniques, explosives, and modern weaponry.
• Xiao Meng remains irreverent and provocative even in danger, constantly insulting Meng Kun and using humor to maintain psychological superiority. However, his fear during Meng Kun’s attempted self-destruction reveals that he recognizes genuine threats and can act cautiously when necessary.
• Meng Kun abandons his humanity and accepts severe long-term consequences through the Wolf Transformation Technique. His desperation to preserve the Meng Clan turns him into a savage, nearly beast-like opponent driven by hatred and revenge.
• The gorilla-like subordinate shows loyalty to Meng Kun and sacrifices his body in an attempt to buy time, but his strongest attack is completely overwhelmed by Xiao Meng.
• The Black-Scaled Wolf, previously associated with the enemy side, becomes Xiao Meng’s unwilling mount and visibly trembles after witnessing the battle.

Significant Themes

• Desperation and sacrifice: Meng Kun willingly damages his future and transforms into a monster to protect his clan.
• Humanity versus bestiality: Meng Kun’s physical transformation reflects how hatred and survival instinct strip away his human identity.
• Power versus strategy: Raw strength alone cannot guarantee victory; Xiao Meng survives through formation techniques, deception, timing, and the unexpected use of firearms.
• Hubris and psychological warfare: Xiao Meng’s taunts keep pressure on Meng Kun, while Meng Kun’s confidence in his transformed body repeatedly exposes him to Xiao Meng’s traps.
• Survival and pragmatism: Xiao Meng does not pursue unnecessary risks, especially when he suspects a self-destruct attack or the arrival of unknown reinforcements.

Character Interactions

• Meng Kun orders the gorilla-like man to delay Xiao Meng while he completes the Wolf Transformation Technique, showing their mutual loyalty and the clan’s dependence on Meng Kun.
• Xiao Meng and the gorilla-like man clash directly, with Xiao Meng recognizing and mocking the man’s desperate strength before defeating him.
• Xiao Meng and transformed Meng Kun engage in a savage duel marked by mutual threats, insults, and competing displays of strength.
• Xiao Meng repeatedly taunts Meng Kun, especially after cutting off his tail, while Meng Kun responds with escalating rage and promises to kill him.
• Their final interaction becomes a battle of deception: Xiao Meng uses an explosive spear to cripple Meng Kun, then avoids approaching until the wolf reveals his plan to self-destruct.
• After killing both enemies, Xiao Meng avoids the approaching newcomers, emphasizing his distrust of possible authorities and his preference for escaping before becoming entangled in another conflict.

Chapter Summary

Plot points and events

• Xiao Meng becomes lost after taking a wrong route while traveling away from Black Rock City.
• His Black-Scaled Wolf has led him deep into an apparently untouched wilderness, so he abandons it and summons Big Old Two, his flying bird companion.
• From the air, Xiao Meng realizes he is likely somewhere within the enormous and dangerous Beast Mountain Range, filled with towering mountains, dense forests, powerful dou qi, and fierce magical beasts.
• Neither Big Old Two nor the system can provide a reliable route back to Wutan City. Since Big Old Two does not remember the way to Black Rock City, Xiao Meng orders it to choose a direction and search for people who might help.
• Big Old Two spins around, then flies in the direction opposite the one it initially selected, claiming that “the correct answer is often the opposite of your choice.”
• They travel for most of the day without escaping the mountains. Xiao Meng grows increasingly angry as the landscape remains unchanged and dangerous auras become stronger.
• Despite suspecting they may be heading toward the inner region of the range, Xiao Meng decides not to turn back because doing so would waste two days.
• They spend the night on a mountain peak and continue flying the next morning. Along the way, large groups of birds attack Big Old Two, injuring Xiao Meng as he struggles to defend them.
• By the second afternoon, the scenery finally changes, revealing that they have traveled in exactly the wrong direction.

Character developments

• Xiao Meng is shown as increasingly frustrated, impatient, and dependent on others for navigation. Although he initially mocks Big Old Two’s incompetence, he also makes the reckless decision to continue forward rather than return.
• His irritation gradually turns into helplessness as he realizes how vast and dangerous the mountain range is. Despite his anger, he remains responsible for protecting Big Old Two during the bird attacks.
• Big Old Two is portrayed as young, unreliable, and comically overconfident. It has no sense of direction, uses absurd reasoning to justify its choice, and becomes defensive when Xiao Meng blames it. Its mistakes nevertheless create much of the chapter’s humor.
• The Black-Scaled Wolf is briefly established as similarly unreliable, reinforcing Xiao Meng’s tendency to end up depending on troublesome companions.

Significant themes

• The dangers of poor judgment: A minor distraction causes Xiao Meng to become completely lost, while his refusal to turn back worsens the situation.
• Chance versus responsibility: Big Old Two treats navigation like a random gamble, but Xiao Meng must bear the consequences of its decisions.
• Comic reversal and irony: The phrase “the correct answer is often the opposite of your choice” becomes an absurd justification that leads directly to the wrong destination.
• Human dependence and helplessness in nature: Despite Xiao Meng’s strength, he is powerless against the sheer scale of the mountain range and cannot rely on technology, maps, or familiar routes.

Character interactions

• Xiao Meng repeatedly insults and physically reprimands Big Old Two for its poor navigation, while Big Old Two responds with confusion, excuses, and wounded pride.
• Their relationship is antagonistic but familiar: Xiao Meng relies on Big Old Two to escape the mountains, and Big Old Two continues obeying him despite its mistakes.
• Xiao Meng’s interactions with the system are one-sided, emphasizing his isolation; he asks for a map, but the system ignores him.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Meng realizing that Big Old Two’s “opposite choice” strategy has led them completely away from their destination.

Chapter Summary — “Special Constitution? (Please Subscribe)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Black Rock City Alchemist Association learns that the Meng Clan’s attempt to eliminate Xiao Meng ended in disaster. Twenty-six people—including twenty-four Da Dou Shi, the Meng Clan’s ancestor Meng Kun, and the clan’s genius Meng Yuanba—were killed at Wind Gorge.
• Meng Kun had used the Wolf Transformation Technique, raising his strength to the Mid-Stage Four-Star Dou Ling, yet he was still defeated. This convinces the association that Xiao Meng may possess strength far beyond his apparent age.
• Otto, Feilin, Frank, Feng Li, and Xue Mei infer that Xiao Meng himself may have caused the devastation. Evidence from the association’s cultivation rooms suggests that the power used there exceeded what an ordinary Da Dou Shi could produce.
• The group concludes that Xiao Meng is likely both a Fifth-Grade Alchemist and at least a Four-Star Dou Ling, making him an extraordinarily dangerous and talented youth.
• Feng Li is authorized to investigate Xiao Meng’s identity secretly, provided he uses someone completely trustworthy and does not expose the information to the royal family. Frank and Otto admit they would like to recruit him, but recognize that the Jia Ma Empire’s association may not yet be worthy of his attention.
• Meanwhile, Xiao Meng has accidentally arrived in the Tagore Desert instead of returning to Wutan City. He decides to remain there temporarily, visit his old brothers in Stone Desert City, and use the desert’s harsh conditions to consolidate his recent breakthrough.
• Over more than ten days, Xiao Meng fights dozens of magical beasts, suffers several serious injuries, and ultimately kills a powerful Fire Qilin Golden Python with the Demonic Lotus Slaughter Formation. His poison immunity allows him to survive the desert’s many poisonous creatures.
• Through his fishing system, Xiao Meng obtains upgraded versions of the Desolate Demon Eye, the Great Wilderness Scripture, and Ruthless Great Emperor’s Heaven-Devouring Demon Art. However, his current Soul Force is insufficient to cultivate the latter techniques safely.
• Xiao Meng begins strengthening his divine soul by guiding True Essence into his ancestral aperture. During cultivation, he notices a purple region appearing within his previously black divine soul.
• The system explains that his divine soul can repeatedly evolve and that true divine-soul cultivation will only begin once it has completely transformed purple.
• The system further reveals that Xiao Meng possesses an extraordinarily rare constitution capable of withstanding the destructive power of the Eternal Undying Art. His Heavenly Abode is even more resilient than those of ordinary divine bodies, allowing it to survive the terrifying phenomena produced during his breakthroughs.
• Xiao Meng realizes that the phenomena he had assumed were merely signs of his constitution were actually consequences of cultivating the Eternal Undying Art. Shocked and frightened by the implications, he asks whether the system chose him because of his constitution.

Character Development

• Xiao Meng continues becoming stronger through combat and cultivation rather than relying solely on his existing abilities. His repeated injuries in the desert help him temper and stabilize his new realm.
• His confidence is balanced by growing caution: he recognizes that powerful techniques such as the Desolate Demon Eye and Heaven-Devouring Demon Art could harm him if used before his Soul Force is sufficient.
• The discovery of his unusual constitution gives him a new understanding of his past breakthroughs and suggests that his potential may be far greater than he imagined.
• Otto, Frank, Feng Li, Feilin, and Xue Mei shift from viewing Xiao Meng as an impressive young alchemist to recognizing him as a terrifying prodigy whose strength may rival or exceed the greatest experts in the empire.
• Feng Li becomes willing to investigate Xiao Meng’s background, while Frank and Otto show both interest in recruiting him and awareness that the association may not be powerful enough to attract him.

Significant Themes

• Hidden power and identity: Xiao Meng’s true strength, origin, and constitution remain mysteries, prompting powerful organizations to investigate him.
• The dangers of unchecked cultivation: The Eternal Undying Art produces destructive phenomena that Xiao Meng had not understood, emphasizing that rapid advancement carries serious risks.
• Talent beyond established institutions: Xiao Meng’s abilities appear to surpass the standards of the Jia Ma Empire, suggesting that conventional organizations may be unable to contain or guide him.
• Growth through hardship: The desert functions as a place of physical and spiritual training, forcing Xiao Meng to strengthen himself through dangerous battles and endurance.
• The limits of knowledge: Both Xiao Meng and the Alchemist Association understand only fragments of his abilities. Important truths about his constitution and destiny are deliberately withheld by the system.

Character Interactions

• The Alchemist Association members exchange shocked reactions while analyzing the Meng Clan massacre, with Feilin providing the key observation about the cultivation rooms.
• Frank and Otto share a knowing look when Feng Li suggests investigating Xiao Meng, revealing their concern that the royal family might exploit or target him.
• Feng Li presses for information about Xiao Meng’s background, while Frank cautiously authorizes a discreet investigation.
• Xiao Meng interacts with the system during cultivation, questioning it about his purple divine soul, special constitution, the Eternal Undying Art, and the reason he was chosen.
• The chapter ends on this unanswered question, leaving the origin of Xiao Meng’s constitution—and possibly the system’s involvement in his fate—as a major unresolved mystery.

Chapter Summary: “Other Transmigrators?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Meng questions the system about whether his special physique was the reason he was chosen, but the system remains silent.
• He continues an intense cultivation routine, tempering his body by day and cultivating his soul by night while barely sleeping.
• After exhausting most of his accumulated treasures, Xiao Meng’s soul completes its transformation and becomes entirely purple.
• The system gives him the Myriad Ages Undying Scripture, an exceptionally powerful but extremely dangerous soul-cultivation technique. Its risks are reduced somewhat because of his prior cultivation of the Eternal Undying Art, though Xiao Meng still complains about being forced to learn it.
• While traveling through the desert, Xiao Meng easily withstands repeated attacks from a huge black scorpion. When the scorpion attacks an unconscious man, Xiao Meng destroys it and saves the injured stranger with a Third-Grade Healing Pill.
• The rescued man reveals that he is a mercenary from Stone Desert City. He warns Xiao Meng not to go there because thousands of martial artists have mysteriously disappeared.
• The man explains that mysterious attackers drugged and imprisoned most of his mercenary group in a hidden desert cave. He escaped because a Red-Line Golden Cicada made him resistant to the drugs and poisons, later surviving by hiding in a sandstorm.
• Xiao Meng realizes the disappearances resemble an earlier incident in which villagers were captured and murdered, suggesting both events are connected.
• Before Xiao Meng can investigate the cave, the system warns him not to interfere. It claims that a terrifying entity is controlling the events and that confronting it now would be dangerous.
• The system further reveals that the entity is neither human nor magical beast and does not belong to the Dou Qi Continent. Xiao Meng concludes that the enemy may be another transmigrator.

Character Developments

• Xiao Meng demonstrates tremendous discipline through his exhausting cultivation regimen, but remains irreverent and sarcastic toward the system.
• His soul reaches a major stage of advancement, becoming completely purple and qualifying him to practice a powerful new technique.
• He continues to show confidence and overwhelming physical strength, casually enduring the scorpion’s attacks and defeating it with ease.
• Despite his joking personality, Xiao Meng is compassionate enough to save the wounded mercenary. His concern becomes serious and urgent when he learns that his elder and second brothers may be endangered in Stone Desert City.
• His attitude shifts from casual curiosity to genuine alarm once he learns that an unknown, possibly extraterrestrial transmigrator is behind the disappearances.
• The middle-aged mercenary is established as resilient, resourceful, and grateful. He survived severe injuries, resisted the attackers’ drugs, escaped captivity, and risked returning for help.

Significant Themes

• Power and cultivation: Xiao Meng’s relentless training and soul transformation emphasize the chapter’s focus on personal advancement and the dangerous costs of gaining power.
• Mystery and hidden threats: The disappearances, imprisoned victims, and murdered villagers reveal a larger conspiracy operating in the desert.
• Limits of confidence: Although Xiao Meng is usually fearless and overpowered, the system’s warning suggests that his strength is not yet sufficient against every enemy.
• Compassion and responsibility: Xiao Meng’s decision to save the mercenary and his concern for his brothers show that personal relationships motivate him to take risks.
• Transmigration and outsiders: The revelation that the mastermind may not belong to the Dou Qi Continent expands the story’s world and introduces the possibility of other transmigrators or foreign entities.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Meng repeatedly challenges and mocks the silent system, while the system responds only when it considers the situation dangerous.
• He treats the black scorpion arrogantly, taunting it to injure him before killing it when it threatens the unconscious mercenary.
• His exchange with the mercenary begins humorously, with Xiao Meng jokingly calling himself an “immortal lord,” but becomes serious when Stone Desert City’s crisis is revealed.
• The mercenary warns Xiao Meng to avoid the city and leave the desert, while Xiao Meng presses him for information rather than accepting the advice.
• Xiao Meng and the system clash over whether he should intervene. The system’s unusual fear of the hidden enemy leaves Xiao Meng shocked and suspicious.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Meng asking whether the unknown mastermind is another transmigrator, setting up the central mystery of the next stage.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Meng learns from his system that the mysterious enemy connected to the villagers’ disappearances is not a conventional human or transmigrator, but a member of the powerful Mechanical Race.
• The being originated from Earth but is not an Earth-created robot. It is part of an immense, naturally reproducing race capable of dominating countless worlds.
• The system reveals that the Mechanical Race member is specifically hunting Xiao Meng. According to its kind, Xiao Meng “should not exist,” and they intend to destroy him completely.
• The creature’s earlier appearance near the small town was only an energy body separated from its main form. It had captured humans to extract intelligence-related bloodline factors and repair severe damage to its brain. It could restore physical strength by absorbing energy.
• Xiao Meng discovers that the system itself may not be able to kill the Mechanical Race member. Because the system’s strength depends on his own, he remains far too weak to confront it directly.
• The system warns Xiao Meng not to interfere, explaining that killing the creature’s energy body could have caused a disaster in Wutan City and allowed the main body to track him.
• Despite the danger, Xiao Meng refuses to ignore the imprisoned villagers and mercenaries. He argues that he does not want innocent people to die because of him, even while acknowledging that he is not motivated by conventional righteousness.
• A middle-aged survivor arrives and plans to inform his leader about the captured members of his group. Xiao Meng asks him to guide him back to the prison site so he can rescue them.
• To demonstrate his strength and convince the man, Xiao Meng destroys a sand dune with a massive black finger technique.
• The survivor eagerly agrees to lead him to the imprisoned group and reveals that his organization is the Desert Metal Mercenary Company.

Character Developments

• Xiao Meng: Becomes aware that his transmigration is tied to a much larger and more dangerous mystery. He is shaken by the revelation that multiple Mechanical Race beings are hunting him, but his fear develops into defiance. Although he recognizes the danger and claims not to be a righteous hero, he still chooses to rescue the captives because he does not want to bear responsibility for their deaths.
• The System: Reveals more information than usual but remains evasive about the origins of the Mechanical Race and Xiao Meng’s true identity. It acts as a cautious adviser rather than an omnipotent protector, repeatedly emphasizing that it will not directly save him or fight his enemies.
• The Middle-Aged Man: Initially confused and worried by Xiao Meng’s distracted behavior, he becomes astonished and hopeful after witnessing Xiao Meng’s power. His desperation turns into excitement when Xiao Meng offers to rescue the imprisoned mercenaries.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identity and cosmic conspiracy: Xiao Meng discovers that his existence violates rules or expectations known to the Mechanical Race, implying that his transmigration has deeper origins.
• Power and vulnerability: Despite possessing a system and impressive abilities, Xiao Meng remains insignificant compared with the enemy pursuing him. The chapter challenges his assumption that the system makes him invincible.
• Responsibility versus self-preservation: The system urges Xiao Meng to avoid danger, while Xiao Meng chooses to help others despite the risks. His decision reflects a developing personal sense of responsibility.
• The limits of morality: Xiao Meng rejects the image of a traditional hero, yet still acts compassionately. His motivation is partly personal guilt and self-respect rather than pure altruism.
• Survival and predation: The Mechanical Race’s ability to harvest intelligence from living beings presents a disturbing vision of life reduced to resources for recovery and reproduction.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Meng repeatedly questions and challenges the system, mocking its limitations and demanding information about the Mechanical Race.
• The system counters his impulsiveness with warnings, stressing that confronting the enemy could bring about his death and greater destruction.
• Xiao Meng’s internal conversation with the system causes him to appear unresponsive to the middle-aged man, who becomes increasingly anxious.
• Once Xiao Meng returns to awareness, he questions the man about the prison site and offers to save the captives.
• Xiao Meng’s display of overwhelming power transforms the man’s doubt into complete trust, establishing their partnership for the rescue mission.

Chapter Summary: “First Meeting (Please Subscribe)”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Meng learns that the Desert Metal Mercenary Company is involved and that its second commander is Xiao Li, his brother. Realizing Xiao Li is in danger, he immediately asks the system for a map and rushes to the company’s location with Big Old Two.
• They discover a massive desert fissure guarded by mindless, black-robed figures. The guards are corpselike servants controlled through energy links by Qiong Leng, a highly intelligent mechanical entity whose true body is hidden below.
• Xiao Meng and Big Old Two launch a surprise attack, intending to eliminate the guards before they can alert Qiong Leng’s energy avatar. Big Old Two incinerates his assigned enemies with overwhelming flames, while Xiao Meng uses the Myriad Furnace God to capture and destroy the rest.
• After clearing the entrance, the pair descend through the fissure, silently eliminating additional black-robed guards along the way.
• Deep underground, they find a horrifying cavern containing blood-red and green crystals, a large blood pool, and numerous corpses. A beautiful but sinister young man is conducting a blood ritual while interrogating captured members of the mercenary company.
• The young man discovers through a captive’s memories that Xiao Li is the second commander of the Desert Metal Mercenary Company and the younger brother of Xiao Yan, identifying the world and its connection to Battle Through the Heavens.
• The villain kills one captive, orders the others drained into the blood pool, and reveals a black mechanical arm beneath his human flesh. He prepares to seize Xiao Li, apparently intending to extract his memories and use his body.
• At the critical moment, Big Old Two fires a powerful flame that severs the mechanical arm. Xiao Meng and Big Old Two enter the cavern, confronting the villain and interrupting the execution.

Character Developments

• Xiao Meng shows strong concern for his family, immediately risking himself to rescue Xiao Li. Although he is ruthless toward the mindless guards, he recognizes that their minds and life force are gone, meaning they cannot be saved.
• Xiao Meng continues to struggle with Big Old Two’s unreliable and boastful personality. He is impressed by the bird’s strength but remains irritated by his poor judgment and tendency to seek rewards.
• Big Old Two demonstrates just how powerful his flames are, destroying large groups of enemies almost instantly. He is proud, greedy, and eager to claim half of the Primordial Origin Stone promised by Xiao Meng, while also remaining comically fearful of losing the reward.
• Xiao Li is revealed to be among the captured mercenaries. Weak and unable to resist, he faces death with fear and regret, particularly because he has been away from home for years.
• The unnamed young villain is established as cruel, calculating, and extremely powerful. His beauty contrasts with his brutality, and his mechanical body parts reveal that he is neither an ordinary human nor a magical beast.

Significant Themes

• Family and loyalty: Xiao Meng’s urgent response to Xiao Li’s danger emphasizes the importance of family bonds and motivates the chapter’s rescue mission.
• Humanity versus machinery: The mindless black-robed guards and the villain’s mechanical limb blur the boundary between living beings, machines, and corpses.
• Dehumanization and loss of free will: The guards have been stripped of their minds and reduced to tools, while the captives are physically and spiritually drained for the blood ritual.
• Horror and corruption: The blood pool, corpses, severed bodies, and sinister underground cavern create an atmosphere of ritualistic cruelty.
• Power and exploitation: The villain treats people as sources of blood, memories, and bodies, demonstrating a complete disregard for individual life.
• Comedy amid danger: The argument between Xiao Meng and Big Old Two provides comic relief and highlights their dysfunctional but effective partnership.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Meng questions the middle-aged mercenary about Xiao Li, then ignores further discussion to begin the rescue.
• Xiao Meng and Big Old Two coordinate their assault, though Big Old Two’s eagerness and impulsiveness nearly disrupt Xiao Meng’s careful plan.
• After Big Old Two quickly destroys his enemies, Xiao Meng angrily blames him for making the battlefield more difficult by not choosing the other side.
• The villain interrogates and kills a captive, then learns about Xiao Li and Xiao Yan through memory extraction.
• The villain threatens Xiao Li and expresses interest in using his body, but Xiao Meng and Big Old Two intervene just before the attack can succeed, setting up the chapter’s confrontation.

Sequence Three — Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Meng and Big Old Two enter the cavern where Xiao Li and others are being held captive, immediately silencing everyone present.
• Qiong Leng, the young man in the blood pool, recognizes that Xiao Meng resembles Xiao Yan and suspects he is Xiao Li’s younger brother.
• Xiao Li is overjoyed to see Xiao Meng but desperately tries to warn him away because of the danger.
• Xiao Meng orders Big Old Two to evacuate Xiao Li and the other captives. Big Old Two transforms into a huge winged beast, burns through the black-robed guards, carries the prisoners outside, and then returns to assist Xiao Meng.
• Xiao Meng kills the remaining black-robed people with his AK-47 while Qiong Leng regenerates his severed arm.
• After confronting one another, Qiong Leng realizes that Xiao Meng is not Xiao Yan but the mysterious “Sequence Three,” a high-priority target on an unknown organization’s kill list.
• Qiong Leng transforms from a human-looking avatar into a powerful black mechanical humanoid and attacks Xiao Meng.
• Xiao Meng initially attempts to fight it physically but is quickly overpowered and sent crashing into the ground.
• His bullets and Origin Force attacks can damage or temporarily dismember Qiong Leng, but Qiong Leng’s body rapidly regenerates and can reshape itself into weapons.
• Qiong Leng pierces Xiao Meng’s shoulder and nearly kills him, but Xiao Meng uses the AK-47 to destroy its attacking fingers and frees himself.
• Xiao Meng places a severed piece of Qiong Leng inside the Myriad Furnace God. The furnace’s flames cause Qiong Leng intense pain, suggesting they might be capable of harming it.
• The system warns Xiao Meng that Qiong Leng can assimilate metal and may absorb the Myriad Furnace God itself. It further explains that Qiong Leng’s energy is too advanced and possesses near-immortal, indestructible properties.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Meng asking whether Qiong Leng can truly be killed.

2. Character Development

• Xiao Meng: Demonstrates genuine affection for Xiao Li and the Xiao family, revealing that he considers his adopted/transmigrated relationships as real brotherhood. Despite being badly outmatched, he remains defiant, resourceful, and unwilling to retreat. His encounter forces him to recognize the extreme danger of Qiong Leng while strengthening his determination to confront it.
• Xiao Li: His joy at seeing Xiao Meng contrasts with his terror for his younger brother’s safety. His helpless attempts to warn Xiao Meng emphasize both his vulnerability and his affection.
• Big Old Two: Shows loyalty and obedience by rescuing Xiao Li’s group, returning immediately to help Xiao Meng, and using his flames decisively against the captors.
• Qiong Leng: Reveals itself as a mechanical, highly advanced entity rather than an ordinary human. Its confidence shifts into anger when Xiao Meng identifies its body as an avatar and resists its attacks. Its regenerative and assimilative abilities establish it as a nearly immortal enemy.
• The System: Continues to warn Xiao Meng about Qiong Leng’s capabilities, emphasizing that Xiao Meng has challenged an opponent far beyond his current level.

3. Significant Themes

• Brotherhood and loyalty: Xiao Meng risks his life to rescue Xiao Li, while Big Old Two repeatedly places himself in danger to support him.
• Defiance against overwhelming power: Xiao Meng refuses to surrender even after learning that Qiong Leng vastly outclasses him.
• The limits of strength: Xiao Meng’s attacks can injure Qiong Leng but cannot destroy it, highlighting the gap between conventional power and Qiong Leng’s advanced existence.
• Technology versus cultivation: Xiao Meng’s modern weaponry gives him unexpected advantages, while Qiong Leng represents a superior form of living machinery that can adapt, regenerate, and assimilate metal.
• Immortality and vulnerability: Although Qiong Leng appears nearly indestructible, its pain response suggests that even an immortal-seeming entity may possess exploitable weaknesses.
• Identity and mistaken recognition: Qiong Leng initially mistakes Xiao Meng for Xiao Yan, while Xiao Meng struggles with the burden of being associated with that identity.

4. Character Interactions

• Xiao Meng and Xiao Li share an emotional reunion: Xiao Meng jokes about Xiao Li being kidnapped, while secretly becoming deeply moved by seeing his injured brother.
• Xiao Meng reassures Xiao Li and promises to save everyone, establishing trust and familial devotion.
• Xiao Meng directs Big Old Two during the rescue, and Big Old Two’s immediate compliance demonstrates their strong partnership.
• Xiao Meng and Qiong Leng exchange insults throughout the battle, with Xiao Meng mocking Qiong Leng as “scrap metal” and Qiong Leng responding with escalating threats.
• Qiong Leng’s mistaken belief that Xiao Meng is Xiao Yan leads to its discovery of the “Sequence Three” identity.
• The confrontation between Xiao Meng and the system reflects a conflict between Xiao Meng’s recklessness and the system’s caution. Although the system warns him repeatedly, Xiao Meng insists that facing Qiong Leng early was worthwhile.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Meng asks the system how to kill Qiong Leng, whose regenerative and energy-based powers make it nearly impossible to defeat.
• The system identifies two possible counters:
  • The Primordial Origin Flame, though it is currently too weak and could turn against Xiao Meng if strengthened too quickly.
  • The Taixu Divine Lotus, secretly growing inside Xiao Meng’s Heavenly Abode. It can devour and refine Qiong Leng’s energy, but excessive absorption may corrupt Xiao Meng or damage the lotus.
• Qiong Leng reveals that it wants Xiao Meng’s Myriad Furnace God, which can help its true body recover. It also expresses interest in turning Xiao Meng—the legendary Sequence Number Three—into a puppet or incorporating him into its own body.
• During their confrontation, Xiao Meng uses the Great Desolate Heaven-Imprisoning Finger and his AK-47 to restrain Qiong Leng long enough to shoot off part of one of its fingers.
• Xiao Meng deliberately swallows the finger fragment despite Qiong Leng’s disbelief. Qiong Leng’s energy immediately begins transforming his body into metal-like material.
• The Taixu Divine Lotus intervenes, drawing the fragment into the Heavenly Abode and restoring Xiao Meng’s corrupted body. This proves that the lotus can refine Qiong Leng’s power.
• However, the fragment nearly erodes the lotus itself, turning two of its leaves metallic. The weak Primordial Origin Flame helps suppress the damage.
• Xiao Meng discovers that absorbing Qiong Leng’s high-grade energy causes the Taixu Divine Lotus to grow. He begins planning to consume Qiong Leng’s energy avatars gradually before eventually targeting its true body.
• The system warns that even a tiny fragment of Qiong Leng’s true body would be overwhelmingly dangerous.
• Xiao Meng considers sealing Qiong Leng’s fragments in the Taiyi True Water Pool, but the system explains that doing so would permanently damage the pool, an invaluable divine object capable of nurturing weapons after Xiao Meng reaches the Divine Transformation Realm.
• Meanwhile, Big Old Two struggles to hold Qiong Leng back and calls for Xiao Meng’s help.

Character Developments

• Xiao Meng becomes more confident and aggressive. Rather than fearing Qiong Leng’s immortality, he devises a plan to exploit the Taixu Divine Lotus and turn the enemy’s own energy into a resource.
• His recklessness is emphasized when he swallows Qiong Leng’s finger despite the danger, though he also shows tactical awareness by limiting the amount he consumes.
• Qiong Leng shifts from contemptuous amusement to genuine caution and fear after witnessing Xiao Meng refine its energy. It recognizes that Xiao Meng’s position as Sequence Number Three is justified and concludes that he must either be controlled or eliminated.
• Big Old Two continues displaying immense confidence, immortality-related power, and a comically foul-mouthed personality. Although it is powerful enough to challenge Qiong Leng temporarily, it is ultimately overwhelmed.
• The Taixu Divine Lotus is revealed to be far more significant than Xiao Meng realized. It can counter Qiong Leng’s energy, but it remains vulnerable and underdeveloped.
• The Primordial Origin Flame is established as dangerous but potentially crucial, both as a future weapon and as a stabilizing force for the Taixu Divine Lotus.

Significant Themes

• Power and control: Xiao Meng’s greatest advantage is not raw strength but his ability to control and refine powers that should be beyond him.
• Risk and growth: Every attempt to gain power carries severe danger, including bodily corruption, mental enslavement, backlash, and betrayal by one’s own weapons.
• Hidden potential: Objects Xiao Meng once misunderstood—such as the “Chaos Green Lotus”—are revealed to possess far greater origins and abilities.
• Predator becoming prey: Qiong Leng intends to consume or enslave Xiao Meng, but Xiao Meng reverses the dynamic by literally devouring Qiong Leng’s power.
• Humor amid danger: Xiao Meng’s insults, Big Old Two’s exaggerated arrogance, and their irreverent exchanges contrast with the otherwise deadly confrontation.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Meng repeatedly consults the system, whose warnings balance his impulsiveness with practical information about the risks of each strategy.
• Qiong Leng and Xiao Meng engage in psychological provocation: Qiong Leng threatens to turn him into a puppet, while Xiao Meng mocks it and claims he will eat it instead.
• Big Old Two joins the battle and antagonizes Qiong Leng with outrageous insults. Qiong Leng attempts to recruit it as a servant, provoking Big Old Two into attacking.
• While Big Old Two distracts Qiong Leng, Xiao Meng swallows the finger fragment and successfully activates the Taixu Divine Lotus, changing the balance of the battle.

Chapter Summary

• Battle with Qiong Leng: Big Old Two is nearly crushed by Qiong Leng, whose regenerative body and terrifying black energy make it extremely difficult to injure. Xiao Meng rescues it with his bullets, which can shatter Qiong Leng’s limbs and temporarily disrupt its energy form. Qiong Leng’s severed pieces rapidly regenerate and return to its body.
• Xiao Meng’s strategy: Realizing that Qiong Leng cannot easily be killed, Xiao Meng decides to exhaust and consume its energy piece by piece. He uses more than seventeen formations, activated through spiritual seals that Big Old Two had swallowed and later regurgitated. Once Xiao Meng takes control of the formations, their power increases dramatically, allowing him to trap, bombard, and repeatedly dismember Qiong Leng.
• Dangerous experiment: Xiao Meng attempts to refine Qiong Leng’s black energy through the Eternal Undying Art. The energy severely corrodes his internal organs, nearly killing him, and the system warns that he is not yet capable of controlling it. The Taixu Divine Lotus helps stabilize him and devours the dangerous energy before it can merge permanently into his body.
• New discovery about Xiao Meng: Xiao Meng briefly manages to control the black energy, something the system considers almost impossible. The system reveals that this power can normally only be bestowed by members of the Mechanical Race and warns Xiao Meng not to absorb it directly. It also hints that Xiao Meng’s future power will be comparable or superior, explaining why he ranks third on the Sequence List and is being hunted so relentlessly.
• Growth of the Taixu Divine Lotus: After consuming part of Qiong Leng’s finger and a large fragment, the lotus grows several inches and develops a new green leaf. Its ability to devour Qiong Leng’s energy establishes it as the creature’s natural counter.
• Big Old Two’s role: Big Old Two uses flames, formation-powered pillars, and a dragon-elephant attack to restrain Qiong Leng. Although its flames cannot seriously damage the enemy, they protect Big Old Two from being corrupted. After taking a Blood Bodhi, it recovers and resumes distracting Qiong Leng while Xiao Meng consumes more fragments.
• Escalation: Xiao Meng swallows two fist-sized fragments, enduring intense pain, while the lotus pulls a larger fragment into his Heavenly Abode for later refinement. Qiong Leng becomes increasingly enraged as its energy is steadily depleted and its body is literally eaten away. It vows revenge on Xiao Meng and threatens to refine Big Old Two into a puppet if the bird refuses servitude.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Xiao Meng displays ingenuity, recklessness, and growing confidence. He repeatedly risks his life to exploit Qiong Leng’s weakness but ultimately listens to the system’s warning and allows the Taixu Divine Lotus to purge the dangerous energy.
• Big Old Two shifts between fear, loyalty, bravado, and comic vulgarity. It supports Xiao Meng by enduring attacks, operating the formations, and taunting Qiong Leng, while Xiao Meng repeatedly saves it from being crushed or impaled.
• Qiong Leng changes from confident predator to increasingly frustrated and threatened opponent. Its belief that humans should be its victims is overturned when Xiao Meng becomes capable of consuming its body and energy.
• The partnership between Xiao Meng and Big Old Two strengthens: Big Old Two keeps Qiong Leng occupied, while Xiao Meng serves as the primary damage dealer and devourer.

Significant Themes

• Predator becoming prey: Qiong Leng, accustomed to consuming or enslaving others, finds itself slowly dismantled and eaten.
• Power through strategy rather than brute force: Xiao Meng avoids direct confrontation and combines bullets, formations, regeneration limits, and the lotus’s devouring ability.
• Dangerous ambition and restraint: Xiao Meng’s willingness to experiment nearly kills him, but his decision to heed the system shows the need to balance ambition with caution.
• Hidden destiny and power: The system’s comments about Xiao Meng’s ranking and future abilities suggest that his true potential is still concealed.
• Temporary alliances and mutual dependence: Xiao Meng and Big Old Two rely on one another to survive an enemy neither could defeat alone.
  The chapter ends with Qiong Leng launching another violent attack and Xiao Meng urgently shouting for Big Old Two to dodge.

Chapter Summary: “Three Brothers (Please Subscribe)”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Qiong Leng unleashes a devastating surge of black energy, destroying the attacks around him and severely injuring Big Old Two.
• Xiao Meng fires two high-grade bullets at close range despite the recoil tearing open his own arm. The bullets pierce Qiong Leng, severing an arm and damaging his chest, forcing him to flee.
• Qiong Leng escapes by burrowing underground. Xiao Meng uses the Taixu Divine Lotus to refine Qiong Leng’s severed arm and body fragment, then abandons the pursuit when he realizes he cannot descend through the abyss.
• Xiao Meng discovers that many captives below have been drugged and are too weak to escape. He climbs out to seek help and encounters his eldest brother, Xiao Ding.
• Xiao Ding’s mercenary company prepares to rescue the poisoned captives. Xiao Meng identifies the poison affecting Xiao Li and the others and plans to obtain herbs in Stone Desert City to cure them.
• It is revealed that the City Lord’s Manor was destroyed, including the city lord, and that the Jia Ma Imperial Family has not yet appointed a replacement.
• To protect Xiao Meng’s identity and abilities, Xiao Ding orders the mercenary company to claim that a mysterious expert rescued everyone. The group returns toward Stone Desert City while the members spread exaggerated stories about the unknown savior.

2. Character Developments

• Xiao Meng: Demonstrates enormous strength, combat skill, medical knowledge, and resilience. He willingly damages his own body to save Big Old Two and refuses to make his severe injury a major issue. He is also revealed to be a Fifth-Grade Alchemist, though his brothers initially assume he is boasting.
• Qiong Leng: Despite suffering severe injuries, he remains resourceful and escapes underground. His ability to summon or recover separated body parts emphasizes his dangerous nature.
• Big Old Two/Xiao Li: Is badly injured and poisoned but survives because of Xiao Meng’s intervention. His silent reactions show both frustration with Xiao Meng’s teasing and happiness at his brother’s return.
• Xiao Ding: Remains protective and responsible, immediately worrying over Xiao Meng’s damaged arm and organizing the rescue effort. He is astonished to learn that Xiao Yan has solved his physical problem and become a Second-Grade Alchemist.
• Xiao Yan/Old Four: Although absent from the scene, his progress is highlighted: his physical condition has apparently been cured, and he has reached the level of a Second-Grade Alchemist.
• Mo Tao: Recognizes Xiao Meng as the captain’s brother and apologizes for previously failing to understand their relationship. He helps follow Xiao Ding’s orders and preserve Xiao Meng’s anonymity.

3. Significant Themes

• Brotherly affection beneath teasing: Xiao Meng constantly mocks Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, but his actions reveal deep concern and loyalty. Xiao Ding’s anger over the injury likewise masks genuine love.
• Family support and protection: The brothers take pride in one another’s achievements and prioritize each other’s safety, regardless of differences in cultivation or status.
• Humility versus recognition: Xiao Meng’s accomplishments are so extraordinary that others mistake them for boasts. The decision to credit a “mysterious expert” shows that power and secrecy may be more important than public praise.
• Strength and sacrifice: Xiao Meng’s willingness to endure severe recoil and injury reflects the costs of protecting others.
• Comic relief amid danger: Casual insults, childhood habits, and arguments about how the brothers address one another contrast with the chapter’s violence and political instability.

4. Character Interactions

• Xiao Meng and Qiong Leng: Their battle is brutal and tactical. Xiao Meng combines Big Old Two’s attacks with his firearms, while Qiong Leng relies on overwhelming black energy and ultimately escapes underground.
• Xiao Meng and Xiao Ding: Their reunion is affectionate but comedic. Xiao Meng calls him “Ding-boy” instead of “Big Brother,” embarrassing Xiao Ding, while Xiao Ding focuses on treating Xiao Meng’s injury and arranging aid for the captives.
• Xiao Meng and Xiao Li: Xiao Meng teases Xiao Li about his lack of progress but examines his poison and takes responsibility for curing him. Xiao Li can only respond through glares and frustrated sounds.
• The three brothers: Their banter reflects long-standing familiarity, but their conversation about Xiao Yan’s recovery reveals shared pride and emotional investment in the youngest brother’s future.
• Xiao Ding and Mo Tao: Xiao Ding gives Mo Tao direct orders to obtain medicine, rescue the remaining victims, and conceal Xiao Meng’s involvement, showing his leadership and protectiveness.

Chapter Summary: “What the Hell...”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In Stone Desert City, Xiao Meng’s brothers, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li, challenge him to a two-on-one spar after Xiao Li drunkenly proposed it the previous night.
• Xiao Li secretly plans to let Xiao Ding take the brunt of the beating while he preserves his own dignity. Xiao Meng realizes this immediately, and Xiao Ding overhears the scheme after secretly returning to the room.
• The brothers’ confrontation ends almost instantly, with Xiao Meng defeating both of them so quickly that the watching mercenaries barely realize the fight has begun.
• Xiao Ding and Xiao Li complain about losing face, but their argument reflects the brothers’ familiar dynamic: Xiao Ding is cunning and often avoids punishment, while straightforward Xiao Li usually becomes the scapegoat.
• Xiao Meng discusses the danger facing Stone Desert City and urges Xiao Ding to relocate their mercenary group to Wutan City. Most of the group agrees, while members with families need time to decide.
• Before they leave, Xiao Meng gives Xiao Ding and Xiao Li a vast collection of resources for their family:
  • Two Heavenly Flames—the Xuanhuang Flame and Myriad Beast Spirit Flame—for Xiao Yan.
  • Several Heaven-tier cultivation methods and combat skills for the Xiao clan.
  • The Heavenly Evolution Scripture, which can greatly enhance a person’s talent and potential.
  • The Longevity Art for Xiao Ding and the Thunder Emperor Treasure Art for Xiao Li.
  • Two bottles of Taiyi True Water, a letter, and formation-related knowledge for Xiao Yan and Yao Lao.
  • Storage Rings and supplies for the journey.
• Xiao Meng keeps the origins of these treasures secret, explaining only that they were obtained through unknown means. He has used all his accumulated “fishing attempts” to prepare these gifts, though he is dissatisfied with the limited results.
• Two days later, Xiao Ding and more than three hundred mercenaries leave Stone Desert City for Wutan City on two Thick-Winged Birds. Xiao Meng sends Big Old Two to escort them in secret.
• At the end of the chapter, Xiao Meng receives a system notification that he has recruited Hai Bo Dong, earning two additional fishing attempts. Hai Bo Dong is described as talented in ice-related abilities and possessing good character.

Character Developments

• Xiao Meng: Demonstrates overwhelming strength, emotional attachment to his family, and growing concern for their safety. His preparations show that he is taking the threat from Qiong Leng seriously and is willing to expend valuable resources to protect his relatives.
• Xiao Ding: Remains intelligent, cautious, and somewhat scheming. Though embarrassed by the spar, he proves responsible by arranging the mercenary group’s relocation and carefully receiving Xiao Meng’s gifts.
• Xiao Li: Continues to be impulsive, carefree, and less clever than his brothers. He accepts the challenge while drunk, attempts to avoid being beaten badly, and once again becomes the family’s comic scapegoat.
• Xiao Yan: Although absent from most of the chapter, he benefits greatly from Xiao Meng’s preparations, receiving Heavenly Flames, Taiyi True Water, a letter, and formations.
• Hai Bo Dong: Is introduced through the system as Xiao Meng’s newly recruited subordinate or ally, with promising ice-based talent and a trustworthy character.

Significant Themes

• Family loyalty and protection: Xiao Meng’s gifts and relocation plan show that his primary concern is securing his family’s future against external threats.
• Brotherly rivalry and affection: The brothers mock, deceive, fight, and blame one another, but they remain united and would defend each other from outsiders.
• Hidden power and overwhelming strength: Xiao Meng’s abilities and resources far exceed what his brothers and the mercenaries can comprehend, emphasizing his extraordinary position.
• Responsibility versus cleverness: Xiao Ding appears responsible in front of others but is secretly mischievous, while Xiao Li is honest and impulsive yet repeatedly bears the consequences.
• Preparation for looming danger: The move to Wutan City and the distribution of powerful treasures establish that a major conflict is approaching, particularly because Qiong Leng has targeted Xiao Meng.
• The value of talent and cultivation: The Heavenly Evolution Scripture and various cultivation techniques highlight the importance of potential, inheritance, and strengthening the Xiao clan.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Meng teases both brothers before and after defeating them, while Xiao Ding reacts with frustration and Xiao Li begs for mercy.
• Xiao Ding and Xiao Li’s sparring challenge exposes their contrasting personalities: Xiao Li schemes to protect himself, while Xiao Ding genuinely wants to test Xiao Meng’s strength.
• The three brothers’ banter reveals their longstanding family roles, especially Xiao Li’s status as the habitual scapegoat.
• Xiao Meng and Xiao Ding discuss the future of the mercenary group, with Xiao Meng urging relocation and Xiao Ding handling the practical arrangements.
• Xiao Meng entrusts Xiao Ding and Xiao Li with powerful cultivation resources and strict instructions about who may use them, demonstrating both trust and authority.
• The brothers’ willingness to leave only after making arrangements for their comrades shows that their familial loyalty extends to the entire mercenary group.

Chapter Summary: “Subduing Hai Bo Dong”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Meng receives a system mission to subdue Hai Bo Dong, the former five-star Dou Emperor known as the “Ice Emperor.”
• He recalls Hai Bo Dong’s history: Medusa sealed his cultivation, reducing him to the Dou Ling level, and he now hides his identity while running a map shop in Desert City.
• Xiao Meng travels from Stone Desert City to Desert City, confident that Qiong Leng’s weakened energy avatar will not attack during his absence. He plans to return later and hunt it down because its energy can help the Taixu Divine Lotus grow.
• After locating Hai Bo Dong’s map shop, Xiao Meng bluntly offers him a choice: become his subordinate or face the possibility of being killed.
• To establish his superiority, Xiao Meng claims he killed Meng Kun, an expert comparable to a peak four-star Dou Ling, and says that even peak-condition Hai Bo Dong would not be difficult for him to defeat.
• Xiao Meng reveals extensive knowledge of Hai Bo Dong’s hidden identity, Medusa’s seal, the split Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame map, his knowledge of a Heavenly Flame in the Tagor Desert, and his incomplete search for the ingredients of the sixth-grade Evil-Breaking Pill.
• He attributes this impossible knowledge to “Tian Can Tudou,” humorously describing him as an omnipotent “Creator.” Hai Bo Dong believes Xiao Meng is either impossibly powerful or connected to a terrifying source of information.
• Xiao Meng promises to remove the seal, help Hai Bo Dong transform, and eventually reach the highest realms of cultivation. He pressures Hai Bo Dong by warning that refusal will leave him trapped and powerless.
• Overwhelmed by Xiao Meng’s confidence and apparent omniscience, Hai Bo Dong agrees to follow him.
• Xiao Meng examines the seal, discovers that it resembles formations he understands, and begins removing it. After four or five hours, he successfully completes the process.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Meng warning Hai Bo Dong to restrain his newly released aura unless he wants to attract danger or die.

Character Developments

• Xiao Meng becomes increasingly confident, manipulative, and theatrical. Rather than relying on force, he uses knowledge, psychological pressure, and exaggerated promises to secure Hai Bo Dong’s allegiance.
• He also demonstrates genuine ability by successfully removing Medusa’s seal, proving that his claims are not entirely bluff.
• Hai Bo Dong shifts from an aloof and threatening hidden expert to a shocked, wary, and eventually submissive figure. His long-suppressed desire for freedom makes him vulnerable to Xiao Meng’s promises.
• Hai Bo Dong’s fear and disbelief intensify as Xiao Meng reveals one secret after another, undermining his confidence and convincing him that Xiao Meng possesses extraordinary backing.
• After the seal is lifted, Hai Bo Dong is poised to regain his former strength, though he must learn to control the power he has recovered.

Significant Themes

• Power through knowledge: Xiao Meng gains control not by immediately fighting Hai Bo Dong, but by exposing secrets that should have been unknowable.
• Freedom versus control: Hai Bo Dong’s central motivation is liberation from Medusa’s seal and from the restrictions that have dominated his life for decades.
• Psychological manipulation: Xiao Meng mixes truth, bluffing, humor, and grand promises to make Hai Bo Dong feel that following him is the only sensible option.
• The gap between appearance and ability: Xiao Meng appears to be a young man without detectable Dou Qi, yet his composure and accomplishments suggest power beyond Hai Bo Dong’s understanding.
• Humor and genre awareness: The references to Tian Can Tudou as the “Creator” parody the conventions of the original story and leave Hai Bo Dong bewildered.
• Transformation and ambition: The removal of the seal marks the beginning of Hai Bo Dong’s potential return to the peak of cultivation.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Meng and Hai Bo Dong begin with an antagonistic power struggle: Hai Bo Dong threatens him with icy aura, while Xiao Meng remains calm and casually challenges him.
• Xiao Meng deliberately provokes Hai Bo Dong by calling attention to his poor, dusty shop and joking about his caution, weakening the older man’s imposing presence.
• Hai Bo Dong repeatedly questions Xiao Meng’s identity and sources of information, but each answer only deepens his fear and confusion.
• Xiao Meng presents himself as both a potential benefactor and an overwhelming threat, forcing Hai Bo Dong to choose between submission and continued suffering.
• Once Hai Bo Dong accepts, their relationship changes from confrontation to cooperation, with Xiao Meng taking the role of benefactor and Hai Bo Dong becoming his follower.
• The final interaction is practical rather than rhetorical: Xiao Meng performs the seal removal, while Hai Bo Dong eagerly submits to the process and prepares to reclaim his strength.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Meng firmly warns Hai Bo Dong against betraying him after freeing him from his seal. He threatens to create “eighteen levels of hell” specifically for Hai Bo Dong if the Ice Emperor breaks his promise.
• Hai Bo Dong formally reaffirms his loyalty and agrees to follow Xiao Meng to the death.
• Xiao Meng criticizes Hai Bo Dong’s weak aptitude and gives him half of the Heavenly Evolution Scripture, a powerful technique that can improve cultivation potential. He orders Hai Bo Dong not to share it and to destroy it after memorizing it.
• Xiao Meng discovers that Hai Bo Dong possesses the second fragment of a map connected to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, the third-ranked Heavenly Flame. Hai Bo Dong had previously implied that the fragment was inaccessible, revealing that he had been bluffing.
• Xiao Meng takes both map fragments and warns Hai Bo Dong not to become consumed by greed. Hai Bo Dong briefly shows desire for the Heavenly Flame but is intimidated into backing down.
• The system assigns Xiao Meng a mission to find the Green Lotus Core Flame and use it to temper his body, rewarding him with a fishing attempt.
• Xiao Meng learns that he has not received the expected rewards for recruiting Hai Bo Dong because Hai Bo Dong’s loyalty remains below the required threshold. This frustrates and angers him.
• Xiao Meng demands Hai Bo Dong’s map to the Heavenly Flame in the Tagor Desert and orders him to accompany him in searching for it, despite Hai Bo Dong’s fear of Queen Medusa.
• Since night has fallen, Xiao Meng orders Hai Bo Dong to prepare a room for him and remain in the basement overnight so he cannot escape.
• The restriction unexpectedly increases Hai Bo Dong’s loyalty enough to earn Xiao Meng one fishing attempt. Hai Bo Dong does not sleep; instead, he secretly studies and practices the Heavenly Evolution Scripture.
• The next morning, Xiao Meng worries that Hai Bo Dong has fled. He finds him in the basement, where Hai Bo Dong sincerely thanks him, though his loyalty still has not risen enough to grant the second reward. Xiao Meng simply orders him to prepare for the journey.

Character Developments

• Xiao Meng becomes increasingly controlling and suspicious of Hai Bo Dong, balancing genuine aid with intimidation and threats. He is generous with powerful resources but insists on absolute obedience and secrecy.
• Hai Bo Dong moves from cautious cooperation toward more sincere loyalty. Although he is tempted by the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame and remains wary of Xiao Meng, he honors his promise, accepts the cultivation technique, and begins practicing it earnestly.
• Hai Bo Dong’s hidden basement and earlier bluff about the map reveal him as secretive and somewhat calculating, though not ultimately disloyal.
• Xiao Meng’s reliance on the system’s loyalty mechanics causes growing frustration, especially because Hai Bo Dong’s outward gratitude does not immediately translate into system rewards.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus coercion: Xiao Meng demands sincere allegiance but relies heavily on threats and surveillance to secure it.
• Power and obedience: The chapter emphasizes the imbalance between Xiao Meng and Hai Bo Dong, with Xiao Meng treating the older expert as both a subordinate and a personal resource.
• Greed and self-control: Hai Bo Dong’s reaction to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame demonstrates the danger of coveting power beyond one’s abilities.
• Trust and hidden motives: Xiao Meng doubts Hai Bo Dong’s sincerity, while Hai Bo Dong must decide whether to trust the extraordinary opportunities Xiao Meng offers him.
• Improvement and potential: The Heavenly Evolution Scripture introduces the idea that talent is not fixed and can be transformed through extraordinary means.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Meng repeatedly pats, scolds, and threatens Hai Bo Dong, treating him with a mixture of familiarity, mockery, and dominance.
• Hai Bo Dong respectfully calls Xiao Meng “Young Master,” but his expressions and hesitation reveal fear, skepticism, and occasional resentment.
• Their conflict over the map and the cultivation manual shows Hai Bo Dong’s temptation and Xiao Meng’s refusal to tolerate disobedience.
• By the end, Hai Bo Dong’s sincere thanks suggest growing acceptance of Xiao Meng, while Xiao Meng remains dissatisfied because the system has not yet recognized complete loyalty.

Chapter Summary: “If You Don’t Believe Me, Search Me!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After cleaning up Hai Bo Dong’s shop, Xiao Meng loots nearly everything valuable inside, including medicinal herbs, magic cores, gold coins, and treasures from the hidden room.
• Xiao Meng asks how Hai Bo Dong divided the map leading to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. Hai Bo Dong explains that he used Extraterrestrial Meteoric Iron, whose sharp edges were capable of cutting the otherwise indestructible map.
• Xiao Meng secretly takes the meteoric iron. When Hai Bo Dong angrily demands it back, Xiao Meng pretends innocence and even offers to let him search his body and Storage Ring. Since the iron cannot be stored in a Storage Ring and is too large to conceal physically, Hai Bo Dong has no proof.
• Xiao Meng promises to replace the stolen iron with “divine iron” later, then forcibly brings Hai Bo Dong toward the Tagor Desert to search for the Green Lotus Core Flame.
• Hai Bo Dong recommends avoiding the western area because it lies within Queen Medusa’s territory. Xiao Meng chooses to head east, believing the Heavenly Flame is located there.
• The pair spends several days crossing the desert, freezing any magical beasts they encounter. However, they struggle to locate the underground Heavenly Flame because they lack the tunnel-digging assistance that Xiao Yan had in the original story.
• Xiao Meng reflects on the original plot, the system’s manipulation, the limited usefulness of the Heavenly Flames to him, and the possibility that the system arranged for him to obtain certain flames for Xiao Yan.
• Hai Bo Dong suddenly senses Queen Medusa’s presence nearby. Rather than fearing her, Xiao Meng is delighted, realizing that Medusa’s appearance should lead them to the Heavenly Flame.
• Xiao Meng drags the terrified Hai Bo Dong toward Medusa’s location. They reach a depression containing a passageway radiating intense heat, but the chapter ends just as both men stop at its entrance.

Character Developments

• Xiao Meng is shown as shameless, opportunistic, domineering, and highly resourceful. He treats Hai Bo Dong’s possessions as his own and uses deception to keep the meteoric iron. Despite his arrogance and comedic behavior, he remains focused on completing the system’s mission.
• Xiao Meng also demonstrates knowledge of the original storyline and uses that information to predict the Heavenly Flame’s location and understand Queen Medusa’s goals.
• Hai Bo Dong becomes increasingly frustrated and helpless in dealing with Xiao Meng. Although he is a powerful Dou Emperor, Xiao Meng constantly intimidates, mocks, and physically drags him around.
• Hai Bo Dong’s fear of Queen Medusa is emphasized as a lasting trauma from her earlier suppression and sealing of him. Xiao Meng identifies this fear as an “inner demon,” though Hai Bo Dong insists it is simply a realistic awareness of her overwhelming strength.
• Their relationship develops into an unwilling partnership: Hai Bo Dong provides map knowledge and sensing abilities, while Xiao Meng supplies direction, pressure, and reckless determination.

Significant Themes

• Power imbalance and comedic exploitation: Despite Hai Bo Dong’s status and strength, Xiao Meng controls the situation through boldness, threats, and absurd confidence.
• Greed and deception: Xiao Meng’s theft of the meteoric iron and his repeated denial create a humorous “catch me if you can” conflict.
• Fate versus altered destiny: Xiao Meng knows the original plot but cannot reproduce it exactly, forcing him to improvise because the expected helpers and circumstances are absent.
• Dependence on systems and prophecy: Xiao Meng’s actions are partly dictated by the mysterious system, which he distrusts but cannot resist.
• Fear and psychological weakness: Hai Bo Dong’s terror of Queen Medusa illustrates how past defeat can become a lasting psychological burden.
• Adventure and pursuit of power: The search for the Green Lotus Core Flame, along with Medusa’s plan to use it for evolution, drives the chapter toward its cliffhanger.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Meng repeatedly teases, threatens, and manhandles Hai Bo Dong, calling him “Old Hai” and even rubbing his head like a child.
• Hai Bo Dong responds with anger, disbelief, and suppressed resentment but remains unable to oppose Xiao Meng effectively.
• Their arguments over the stolen meteoric iron highlight their comic dynamic: Hai Bo Dong knows Xiao Meng is guilty, but Xiao Meng’s lack of evidence leaves him powerless.
• Xiao Meng attempts to encourage Hai Bo Dong against Medusa, while Hai Bo Dong repeatedly tries to avoid confronting her.
• The chapter concludes with Xiao Meng forcing Hai Bo Dong into the dangerous passage where Queen Medusa—and presumably the Heavenly Flame—awaits.

Chapter Summary: “Scaring Medusa”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Meng and Hai Bo Dong encounter Queen Medusa near the passage leading to the Green Lotus Core Flame.
• Medusa recognizes Hai Bo Dong and is surprised that he has escaped the seal she placed on him. She is suspicious of Xiao Meng, whose strength and origins are impossible for her to determine.
• Xiao Meng deliberately claims to be Medusa’s “future third brother-in-law,” implying a connection to her family and provoking both Medusa and Hai Bo Dong.
• He accurately identifies Medusa’s goal: evolving through the Green Lotus Core Flame. He warns that, because of her cold Yin nature and lack of preparation, attempting the evolution is extremely dangerous.
• Xiao Meng says he only wants to borrow the Heavenly Flame temporarily, but Medusa refuses and threatens to kill both men.
• To intimidate her, Xiao Meng fires a seemingly devastating bullet into the passage. Although the attack is far weaker than a Dou Emperor’s power, its destructive appearance convinces Medusa and Hai Bo Dong that Xiao Meng may possess terrifying strength.
• Xiao Meng continues bluffing, confidently ordering Hai Bo Dong around and claiming that Medusa will eventually become his sister-in-law. Medusa, uncertain of his true abilities, ultimately steps aside rather than risk a confrontation.
• The group proceeds through the passage and reaches a vast magma sea, where the Green Lotus Core Flame rests inside a green lotus.
• Xiao Meng reveals that he intends to use the Heavenly Flame to temper his body. The system informs him that his Primordial Origin Flame can suppress part of its power.
• He orders Hai Bo Dong to watch Medusa and then dives into the magma, astonishing both observers.
• Xiao Meng reaches the lotus, leaps onto its platform, and deliberately enters the Green Lotus Core Flame. Despite the Primordial Origin Flame’s partial suppression, the pain is overwhelming, and he begins screaming while circulating the Eternal Undying Art to temper his body.

Character Developments

• Xiao Meng: Demonstrates his greatest strength not through actual combat, but through confidence, deception, and psychological manipulation. Though terrified internally, he successfully presents himself as an unfathomably powerful expert. His reckless determination becomes clear when he willingly enters the Heavenly Flame to strengthen his body.
• Hai Bo Dong: Remains deeply afraid of Medusa but becomes increasingly convinced that Xiao Meng is extraordinarily powerful. He accepts Xiao Meng’s commands without protest and serves as an unwilling tool in Xiao Meng’s intimidation tactics.
• Queen Medusa: Initially dominates the encounter through her reputation and killing intent, but Xiao Meng’s mysterious aura and apparent power make her cautious. Her curiosity about him grows, especially after witnessing his immunity to magma and willingness to endure the Heavenly Flame.

Significant Themes

• Bluffing and psychological warfare: Xiao Meng wins the confrontation by appearing stronger and more confident than he really is.
• Appearance versus reality: His calm demeanor hides extreme fear and pain, while his apparently powerful attack is largely a deceptive display.
• Risk and self-improvement: Xiao Meng pursues dangerous body tempering despite the possibility of death, emphasizing his willingness to endure suffering for greater strength.
• Power and uncertainty: Medusa’s inability to assess Xiao Meng’s cultivation undermines her confidence, showing how mysterious strength can be as effective as actual strength.
• Humor amid danger: Xiao Meng’s absurd “brother-in-law” claims, insults toward Hai Bo Dong, and exaggerated bravado contrast with the lethal setting and Medusa’s menace.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Meng repeatedly teases and provokes Medusa by calling her his future sister-in-law, while she responds with anger and embarrassment.
• He treats Hai Bo Dong like a subordinate, openly criticizing his fear and ordering him to stand guard. Hai Bo Dong, despite his former status as a powerful Dou Emperor, obeys and even adopts a fawning attitude.
• Xiao Meng uses each character to intimidate the other: Hai Bo Dong’s obedience makes him appear powerful to Medusa, while Medusa’s fearsome reputation helps Xiao Meng maintain control over Hai Bo Dong.
• Medusa and Hai Bo Dong briefly question each other about Xiao Meng’s identity and abilities, but neither can explain his true origins.
• Both characters watch in disbelief as Xiao Meng enters the Green Lotus Core Flame, leaving them uncertain whether he is extraordinarily powerful, insane, or both.

Chapter Summary: “Xiao Yan’s Change”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Ding and Xiao Li return to the Xiao Clan with news of Xiao Meng and valuable gifts, greatly relieving and exciting Xiao Zhan. Xiao Meng’s disappearance is explained by his trip to the Tagor Desert, where he apparently helped save Xiao Li.
• Xiao Meng sends the clan several Heaven-tier cultivation methods, Heavenly Evolution Scriptures, rare formations, two Heavenly Flames, and bottles of Taiyi True Water. Xiao Zhan hides the treasures carefully, intending to share them only with trusted family members until the clan is strong enough to protect them.
• Xiao Yan receives two Heavenly Flames and Taiyi True Water, while Yao Lao learns that the liquid can help him create a naturally perfect physical body. Yao Lao is ecstatic but irritated by Xiao Meng’s mocking instructions in the letter.
• Xiao Meng warns that a major disaster has already begun and may soon spread across the human nations. He tells Xiao Yan and Yao Lao to prepare themselves and protect Wutan City, implying that the incident in Stone Desert City concealed a much greater threat.
• Xiao Meng instructs Xiao Yan to drink the Taiyi True Water three times before refining Heavenly Flames. Xiao Yan follows the instructions while Yao Lao keeps his distance, suspecting Xiao Meng’s warning has a serious reason.
• The liquid causes mysterious changes within Xiao Yan. Numerous glowing particles gather inside him and merge into a powerful crimson flame.
• The flame’s presence terrifies and attracts Yao Lao’s Bone Spirit Cold Flame. It attempts to flee while simultaneously showing signs of submission, as if Xiao Yan’s new flame is the supreme source or ruler of all flames.
• After awakening, Xiao Yan discovers unfamiliar cultivation memories in his mind. They describe a separate flame-based system with realms such as Spirit Flame, True Flame, Earth Flame, Sky Flame, and Immortal Flame.
• Xiao Yan ends the chapter by revealing that he feels the Bone Spirit Cold Flame within Yao Lao may actually be part of his own body.

Character Developments

• Xiao Zhan becomes more reassured and proud of his sons. He shifts from anxiety over Xiao Meng’s disappearance to excitement over the treasures and opportunities brought back to the clan, though he remains cautious about exposing them.
• Xiao Yan undergoes a profound transformation. He gains a mysterious internal flame, new cultivation memories, and a possible connection to Yao Lao’s Heavenly Flame. His powers and identity appear to be changing in ways neither he nor Yao Lao understands.
• Yao Lao moves from astonishment at Xiao Meng’s generosity to intense excitement over the prospect of obtaining a perfect physical body. His confidence is shaken, however, when his Bone Spirit Cold Flame reacts submissively and fearfully to Xiao Yan’s new power.
• Xiao Meng remains absent but exerts enormous influence through his gifts, warnings, instructions, and teasing personality. His knowledge appears vastly beyond what others expect, including knowledge of the Flame Mantra and rare cultivation systems.

Significant Themes

• Family fortune and responsibility: Xiao Meng’s gifts could transform the Xiao Clan, but Xiao Zhan recognizes that great treasures also invite destruction and must be protected carefully.
• Hidden power and mystery: The source of Xiao Meng’s resources and knowledge remains unexplained, while Xiao Yan’s new flame suggests an even deeper secret about his origins and potential.
• Transformation and destiny: Xiao Yan is beginning to move beyond ordinary Dou Qi cultivation, possibly toward a unique flame-based path.
• Trust and brotherhood: Xiao Meng’s generosity toward Xiao Yan and Yao Lao demonstrates deep familial loyalty, despite his irreverent and insulting manner.
• The danger of growing power: The chapter juxtaposes miraculous opportunities with warnings of an approaching catastrophe, suggesting that the clan’s rise will be accompanied by increasing threats.

Important Character Interactions

• Xiao Zhan reacts warmly to Xiao Ding and Xiao Li’s return and privately safeguards Xiao Meng’s treasures.
• Xiao Yan and Yao Lao discuss the value of the Heavenly Flames, the Taiyi True Water, the Heavenly Evolution Scripture, and the mysterious formations.
• Yao Lao is both grateful and exasperated by Xiao Meng’s sarcastic letter, especially the exaggerated instructions to kowtow in thanks.
• Yao Lao carefully follows Xiao Meng’s warning and retreats while Xiao Yan drinks the Taiyi True Water.
• After Xiao Yan’s transformation, he honestly recounts his experience to Yao Lao. Together they attempt to understand the new flame and cultivation memories, but conclude that only Xiao Meng may know the truth.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Yan confronting Yao Lao with the disturbing possibility that the Bone Spirit Cold Flame is intrinsically connected to him.

Chapter 99 Summary: “You… Can’t Fly?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yan tells Yao Lao that the Bone Spirit Cold Flame and the other Heavenly Flames feel strangely familiar, almost like parts of his own body. His internal flame urges him to absorb them, yet the other flames also repel him.
• Yao Lao examines Xiao Yan and finds no physical danger. Xiao Yan can control the flame as naturally as his own limbs and feels newly liberated rather than harmed.
• Yao Lao proposes extracting the Bone Spirit Cold Flame—his Natal Flame—for Xiao Yan to refine and use in evolving the Flame Mantra. Xiao Yan firmly refuses, unwilling to take something so important from his teacher. Their exchange reinforces their deep trust and mutual concern.
• Xiao Yan continues refining Taiyi True Water. After consuming the remaining supply, his Qi vortex transforms into a vast world of flames, while 108 of his body’s vital acupuncture points open and begin functioning as independent Qi vortexes.
• Yao Lao recognizes this as an extraordinary opportunity, comparing Xiao Yan’s condition to an ancient legend about a powerful Dou Di who possessed 108 Qi vortexes and could overwhelm vast numbers of opponents. Xiao Yan realizes that his stamina and endurance in combat may become exceptionally formidable.
• Meanwhile, Xiao Meng completes his cultivation in the magma beneath the Tagor Desert. Two-tenths of his Origin Force convert into True Essence, and he reaches the initial peak of the True Essence Realm. His physical body becomes far stronger, and the Green Lotus Core Flame can no longer harm him.
• After completing a system quest, Xiao Meng receives a new task: exchange the Green Lotus Core Flame for access to the Snake-People’s Ten Thousand Snake Grotto, where the system claims a Taishi Tree seed can be found.
• Xiao Meng negotiates with Queen Medusa. He offers to teach her the correct method of harvesting the Heavenly Flame in exchange for escorting him to the Ten Thousand Snake Grotto. He also promises a future favor and swears a blood oath not to harm the Snake-People.
• Xiao Meng teaches Medusa to use two lotus seeds—one to merge the flame’s energy with her Dou Qi and another to contain the Heavenly Flame. The method succeeds, allowing Medusa to claim the Green Lotus Core Flame.
• Xiao Meng uses Medusa’s jade hairpin to detach the precious green lotus pedestal and collects the remaining lotus seeds. He leaves the lotus’s stem and roots intact to preserve the possibility of its regeneration.
• Unexpectedly, the remaining lotus body dissolves into energy and enters the lotus seed held by Medusa. Neither Xiao Meng nor Medusa understands why this happens.
• Xiao Meng abruptly dives into the magma instead of flying away, leaving Medusa bewildered. She asks the chapter’s closing question: “You… can’t you fly?”

Character Developments

• Xiao Yan becomes increasingly connected to Heavenly Flames in a mysterious way. His transformation suggests that his cultivation is developing along an unusual and potentially powerful path.
• Yao Lao demonstrates both scientific caution and emotional trust. Though concerned about Xiao Yan’s strange condition, he accepts that it may be a blessing and is willing to sacrifice his Natal Flame for Xiao Yan’s advancement.
• Xiao Yan shows strong loyalty and moral restraint by refusing to take the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, despite its importance to his cultivation.
• Xiao Meng reaches a major cultivation milestone, gaining immense physical strength and True Essence. He also displays confidence, opportunism, and a willingness to negotiate—even while bluntly threatening to force his way into the Snake-People’s sacred territory.
• Medusa remains proud and suspicious but recognizes Xiao Meng’s value and ultimately accepts his deal. Her successful acquisition of the Heavenly Flame marks a major gain in power.

Significant Themes

• Teacher-student loyalty: Xiao Yan’s refusal to take Yao Lao’s Natal Flame emphasizes gratitude, trust, and the emotional bond between them.
• Transformation and rebirth: Xiao Yan’s flames, opened acupuncture points, and feeling of “breaking free” suggest a fundamental evolution beyond ordinary cultivation.
• Fortune hidden in danger: What initially appears to be a dangerous anomaly becomes a supreme cultivation opportunity.
• Power and negotiation: Xiao Meng balances threats, promises, and practical benefits to secure access to the Ten Thousand Snake Grotto.
• Respect for natural treasures: Xiao Meng avoids destroying the Green Lotus’s roots and stem, valuing preservation and karmic balance.
• Mystery and unpredictability: The unexplained changes to Xiao Yan’s flames and the Green Lotus suggest forces or rules beyond the characters’ understanding.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Yan and Yao Lao share an honest, emotionally charged discussion about the Heavenly Flames and the possibility of transferring the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.
• Yao Lao encourages Xiao Yan after discovering the 108 Qi vortexes, turning Xiao Yan’s confusion into excitement.
• Xiao Meng and Medusa engage in a tense but ultimately successful bargain. Their interaction mixes suspicion, pride, threats, promises, and reluctant cooperation.
• Medusa’s final confusion over Xiao Meng’s inability—or unwillingness—to fly provides the chapter’s humorous closing beat and highlights the contrast between their abilities and personalities.