Chapter Summaries

Xiao Lin returned safely with Yun Shan and joined the Jia Ma Empire’s final search of the Secret Realm, where he learned that three Xiao Household members had likely died. As the expedition ended, Ying Changkong cursed Xiao Lin and Yun Shan for his losses, only for Xiao Lin to appear unexpectedly in his tent.

• Xiao Lin and Yun Shan returned to the Jia Ma Empire’s group, and Jia Xing Tian announced that everyone would search for one more day before leaving the Secret Realm.
• Xiao Lin found that three Xiao Household Da Dou Shi had not returned, while Xiao Ze, Xiao Zhen, and Xiao Yi had survived and gained from the expedition.
• The Jia Ma Empire and Falling Goose Empire searched opposite sides of the Secret Realm, then decided to rest before departing the next day.
• Ying Changkong learned that the Black Eagle Bandit Group had lost more than two-thirds of its members and blamed Xiao Lin and Yun Shan for his failed plans.
• Xiao Lin suddenly spoke from inside Ying Changkong’s tent after Ying Changkong threatened revenge.

Xiao Lin infiltrated the Black Eagle Bandit Group's camp and terrified Ying Changkong by killing his subordinates and cutting off his call for help. He revealed himself, leaving Ying Changkong stunned that a One-Star Battle King could wield power beyond a Mid-Stage Dou Zong.

• Ying Changkong heard an unseen voice in his tent and discovered his subordinates had died without a sound.
• Ying Changkong released his Dou Qi to summon the nearby forces of the Falling Goose Empire, but no reinforcements arrived.
• The hidden person mocked Ying Changkong and told him to wait longer for help.
• Xiao Lin appeared and revealed that he had used his Heavenly Realm Soul Power to kill Ying Changkong's men and isolate the tent.
• Ying Changkong recognized Xiao Lin and protested that a One-Star Battle King could not possess power beyond a Mid-Stage Dou Zong.

Xiao Lin confronted Ying Changkong and revealed that his overwhelming strength had made the Two-Star Dou Emperor helpless. After Ying Changkong’s desperate attack failed, Xiao Lin killed him with the God-Slaying Finger.

• Xiao Lin reminded the shattered Ying Changkong that he had intended to kill him since the previous day and refused his offer of wealth in exchange for his life.
• Ying Changkong realized Xiao Lin had lured him away and hidden his strength so he could kill him without exposing himself.
• Ying Changkong gathered his battle qi and used Eagle Soaring Dou Annihilation, but Xiao Lin’s Heavenly Realm Soul Power kept him from reaching Xiao Lin.
• Xiao Lin pressed the God-Slaying Finger to Ying Changkong’s brow and killed the Two-Star Dou Emperor.

Xiao Lin secretly killed Ying Changkong and wiped out the Black Eagle Bandit Group, then returned to the Jia Ma Empire with Ying Changkong’s fortune to strengthen the Xiao Household. The Falling Goose Empire blamed a hidden, elderly Dou Zong from the Jia Ma Empire, leaving Xiao Lin unaware that his actions had sparked a curious misunderstanding.

• Xiao Lin took Ying Changkong’s Storage Ring, silently eliminated the remaining Black Eagle Bandit Group members, and returned to the Xiao Household camp to cultivate.
• Xiao Lin assessed Ying Changkong’s vast resources and decided to keep a few precious items while giving most of the rest to Clan Chief Xiao Dongcheng.
• The Jia Ma Empire’s factions left the Secret Realm and returned to the Gama Imperial Capital as their temporary alliance ended.
• The Falling Goose Empire’s factions discovered that Ying Changkong and the Black Eagle Bandit Group had been wiped out, and its imperial ancestor concluded that a Dou Zong had done it.
• Yan Luotian and the imperial ancestor suspected that an aged Dou Zong from the Jia Ma Empire was responsible, while Yan Luotian regretted losing the chance to claim the bandits’ resources.
• The Falling Goose Empire announced the destruction without naming a culprit, while Xiao Lin remained unaware that everyone suspected a hidden Jia Ma Empire Dou Zong.

After returning from the Secret Realm, Xiao Lin helped the Xiao Household grow while advancing his cultivation and Spirit Array Master skills. A year later, he reached the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Emperor realm, became a Second-Level Spirit Array Master, and developed the Spirit-Gathering Formation.

• Xiao Lin gave Ying Changkong's Storage Ring to Xiao Dongcheng, whose contents shocked the clan chief, but Xiao Lin kept the reason for the riches to himself.
• Xiao Lin helped the Xiao Household recruit and train Alchemists, using the resources from the Storage Ring to support its growth.
• Xiao Lin resumed cultivating and raising Xiao Zhan, while also studying Spirit Array Master techniques and deriving formations from the Nine Fundamental Formations.
• Over the following year, Xiao Lin advanced to the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Emperor realm, surpassing Yun Shan's cultivation progress.
• Xiao Lin condensed forty Spirit Seals, became a Second-Level Spirit Array Master, and arranged the seals into the Spirit-Gathering Formation.

Xiao Lin deduced the Spirit-Gathering Formation, became a Second-Level Spirit Array Master, and used the formation to cultivate toward Dou Zong. After six days, he broke through and tested his new ability to wield spatial power.

• Xiao Lin set up a Second-Level Spirit-Gathering Formation in the Xiao Household Back Mountain and decided to delay visiting the place where he had planned to break through.
• Xiao Lin cultivated within the formation for five days, drawing in spiritual energy as the bottleneck at the peak of Nine-Star Dou Emperor began to tremble.
• Xiao Lin broke through to Dou Zong at dawn on the sixth day and used his Heavenly Realm Soul Power to contain the eruption of his aura.
• Xiao Lin flew without Dou Qi Wings and experienced his new ability to use spatial power, confident that his Dou Zong strength combined with his soul power would let him challenge low-level Dou Venerables.

After a year of consolidating his strength and developing new Dou Techniques, Xiao Lin decided to travel across the Northwest Continent to gain experience and seek undiscovered resources. He reassured Xiao Dongcheng that he could handle the journey, though the clan chief remained worried about the risks.

• Xiao Lin spent the year helping Xiao Dongcheng manage the household, guiding the clan’s younger members, and spending time with Xiao Zhan while his Spirit Array Master level rose to Level Three.
• Xiao Lin created the Seven-Star Void Step, two Star Dou Techniques, and three Earth Attribute Dou Techniques to conceal his true strength behind his apparent Dou Wang cultivation.
• Xiao Lin decided to explore the Northwest Continent for experience and resources, but postponed visiting the Central Plains until he reached the Dou Venerable realm.
• Xiao Lin told Xiao Dongcheng about his travel plans, and Xiao Dongcheng worried that Xiao Lin might be attacked outside the Jia Ma Empire.

Xiao Lin pressed Xiao Dongcheng to reveal the Xiao Household’s hidden history, and the clan head decided that Xiao Lin’s strength and cautious nature made him worthy of learning it. In the ancestral hall, Xiao Dongcheng handed Xiao Lin a thick book before explaining the secrets.

• Xiao Lin recognized that Xiao Dongcheng’s remarks hinted at the Xiao Household’s lost power and asked him to speak plainly about its secrets.
• Xiao Dongcheng struggled between honoring the previous head’s final wishes and telling Xiao Lin, whom he believed could revive the Xiao Household.
• Xiao Dongcheng decided to reveal the secrets and took Xiao Lin to the Xiao Household Ancestral Hall.
• Xiao Dongcheng knelt to ask the ancestors’ forgiveness, while Xiao Lin respectfully offered incense.
• Xiao Dongcheng gave Xiao Lin a thick book and told him to read it before hearing the secrets.

Xiao Lin read the records of Xiao Household experts who had all died in suspicious accidents and realized the Hun Clan had secretly caused the household’s decline. He resolved to keep hiding his strength and grow stronger before the Hun Clan could target him.

• Xiao Lin read Xiao Dongcheng’s book and found that every Xiao Household expert above the Dou Emperor realm had died before reaching old age.
• Xiao Dongcheng explained that the household had once come from the Central Plains but had declined after its ancestors repeatedly died in accidents.
• Xiao Lin questioned whether the ancestors’ deaths were suspicious, but Xiao Dongcheng believed they were a curse rather than the work of an enemy.
• Xiao Lin concluded that the Hun Clan had orchestrated the Xiao Household’s decline while leaving it intact because the other ancient clans would not allow it to seize the Ancient Emperor Jade.
• Xiao Lin worried that the Hun Clan might already be watching him and resolved to keep his strength concealed and gain experience to grow stronger.

Xiao Lin told Clan Chief Xiao Dongcheng that he was determined to leave for a long training expedition, despite Xiao Dongcheng's fears about the Xiao ancestors who had died pursuing strength. He planned to depart in three days and asked Xiao Dongcheng to care for Xiao Zhan while he was away.

• Xiao Lin used Xiao Dongcheng's own words about reviving the family to argue that he needed to become stronger.
• Xiao Lin said he would train for at least two or three years, and perhaps as long as five or six, but would return before Zhan'er's coming-of-age ceremony.
• Xiao Lin told Xiao Dongcheng he planned to leave in three days after preparing and saying goodbye to people he knew.
• Xiao Dongcheng asked about Xiao Zhan, and Xiao Lin said he would tell his son that night and asked Xiao Dongcheng to look after him.
• Xiao Dongcheng agreed to care for Xiao Zhan, confident that the Xiao Household's growing prosperity would let Xiao Lin leave without worrying about its affairs.

Xiao Lin returned home and learned that Xiao Zhan had reached the third stage of Dou Qi. After Xiao Zhan recognized that his father planned to leave on a long training journey, he encouraged him to go, and Xiao Lin took him to visit the Nalan Household before departing.

• Xiao Zhan proudly showed Xiao Lin that he had reached the third stage of Dou Qi, and Xiao Lin praised him.
• Xiao Zhan realized Xiao Lin was planning another long journey from his conflicted expression and urged him not to give up his plans.
• Xiao Lin promised to choose a suitable cultivation technique for Xiao Zhan when he returned from training.
• Xiao Lin took Xiao Zhan to visit Nalan Jie and Nalan Su, intending to ask Nalan Jie to watch over the Xiao Household while he was away.

Xiao Lin visited Nalan Jie with his son, and the two old friends traded barbs while Xiao Zhan and Nalan Su reflected on their fathers’ close friendship. Xiao Lin asked Nalan Jie to watch over the Xiao Household during his years of training, and Nalan Jie agreed despite their teasing and misunderstandings.

• Xiao Lin arrived at the Nalan Household with Xiao Zhan, where he and Nalan Jie traded sarcastic remarks.
• Xiao Zhan and Nalan Su compared their friendship with their fathers’ bond and wondered what made Xiao Lin and Nalan Jie true bros.
• Nalan Jie sent Xiao Zhan and Nalan Su away so he could speak privately with Xiao Lin.
• Xiao Lin told Nalan Jie he planned to travel for several years to train and asked him to protect the Xiao Household.
• Nalan Jie offered to accompany Xiao Lin, then agreed to watch over the Xiao Household after Xiao Lin clarified what he needed.

Xiao Lin said goodbye to his son and set out on a journey to train in the Black-Corner Region, hiding his identity no longer. He planned to test himself in the region and seek a chance to cultivate in Jia Nan Academy’s Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, where Fallen Heart Flame resided.

• Xiao Lin visited the Mu Household and other factions friendly with the Xiao Household, then spent three days with Xiao Zhan.
• Xiao Lin said farewell to Xiao Zhan and informed Xiao Dongcheng that he was leaving to train for several years.
• After crossing the Jia Ma Empire’s border, Xiao Lin used Astral Dou Qi to change his appearance and flew openly as a Dou Zong.
• Xiao Lin chose the Black-Corner Region as his destination because its lawless environment suited his training and offered information from across the Northwest Continent.
• Xiao Lin planned to enter Jia Nan Academy’s Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower and cultivate near Fallen Heart Flame.

Xiao Lin entered the Black-Corner Region seeking experience and was immediately surrounded by four Dou Lings trying to rob him. He killed them with his soul power and continued deeper into the region as news spread that a Dou Emperor-level powerhouse had arrived.

• Xiao Lin arrived at the entrance to the Black-Corner Region and stepped inside, eager to test himself in its chaos.
• Four Dou Lings surrounded Xiao Lin to ambush and rob him, but the two in front sensed danger while the two behind demanded his Storage Ring.
• The two Dou Lings in front fled, but Xiao Lin killed them instantly with his soul power.
• Xiao Lin turned and killed the remaining two Dou Lings, then let nearby onlookers escape.
• Xiao Lin walked deeper into the Black-Corner Region as word spread that a powerhouse at least at the Dou Emperor realm had arrived.

Xiao Lin explored the Black-Corner Region and encountered a Jia Nan Academy elder leading four students. When he spotted a Dou Emperor secretly following them to kill them, Xiao Lin followed the attacker, seeing a chance to make contact with the academy.

• Xiao Lin explored the Black-Corner Region and discovered its many powerful experts and rare treasures.
• Xiao Lin saw a Dou Wang elder emerge from a herb shop with four Jia Nan Academy students.
• Xiao Lin noticed a Dou Emperor secretly following the five and preparing to attack them.
• Xiao Lin followed the Dou Emperor, intending to use the situation to make contact with Jia Nan Academy.

Huo Dian and four Jia Nan Academy students were ambushed by Jing Gui as they neared Peace Town. Just as Jing Gui unleashed a killing technique, an unknown speaker appeared and vowed to protect them.

• Huo Dian praised the four students for completing their mission and promised them Fire Energy for cultivation at the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
• Jing Gui ambushed the group near Peace Town, wounding all five with a strange gale.
• Huo Dian confronted Jing Gui over his younger brother’s crimes and prepared to hold him back so the students could escape.
• Jing Gui used Ghost Wind Arrow against Huo Dian and the four students, leaving Huo Dian convinced they could not survive.
• An unknown speaker appeared beside Jing Gui and declared that they would protect Huo Dian and the students.

Xiao Lin saved Huo Dian and four Jia Nan Academy students from Jing Gui, then killed Jing Gui after the Dou Emperor threatened him. The five students watched as Xiao Lin demonstrated the gap between Dou Emperor and Dou Zong.

• Xiao Lin blocked Jing Gui's attack with his Star-Devouring Jade technique, protecting Huo Dian and the four Jia Nan Academy students.
• Jing Gui threatened Xiao Lin and tried to bribe him, prompting Xiao Lin to appear and reveal himself as a Dou Zong.
• Huo Dian and the students recognized Xiao Lin's strength and feared making any move that might anger him.
• Jing Gui apologized and tried to flee, but Xiao Lin pursued him with the Starlight Heaven-Suppressing Seal.
• Xiao Lin's seal crushed Jing Gui, killing another Dou Emperor.

After killing Jing Gui, Xiao Lin reassured Huo Dian and the Jia Nan Academy students that he meant them no harm. He revealed that he wanted to work at Jia Nan Academy as an elder, leaving the group stunned.

• Xiao Lin killed Jing Gui and approached Huo Dian and the four students, who watched him warily.
• Huo Dian thanked Xiao Lin for saving them and asked his name, and Xiao Lin introduced himself as Lin Xiao.
• Huo Dian grew suspicious when Xiao Lin said he had business at Jia Nan Academy, so Xiao Lin clarified that he had no ulterior motives.
• Xiao Lin asked whether Jia Nan Academy was recruiting elders and whether his strength qualified him for the position.
• Huo Dian and the four students were shocked that a Dou Zong wanted to become an elder.

Xiao Lin asked to join Jia Nan Academy as an elder so he could cultivate using the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower and its Fallen Heart Flame. Huo Dian sent four students ahead to inform First Elder Su Qian, then walked toward the academy with Xiao Lin, who concealed his background behind the alias Lin Xiao.

• Xiao Lin told Huo Dian that he wanted an elder's position at Jia Nan Academy to access the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
• Xiao Lin suggested that four students return first to tell First Elder Su Qian about his request while he and Huo Dian stayed behind and talked.
• Huo Dian agreed, then sent the four students toward the academy with instructions to report what had happened to Su Qian.
• Xiao Lin and Huo Dian began walking toward Jia Nan Academy, questioning each other along the way.
• Xiao Lin learned that Huo Dian was an academy elder and an Alchemist, and wondered if he was Elder Huo from the original story.
• Huo Dian learned only that Xiao Lin used the alias Lin Xiao and claimed to be an independent cultivator from the Central Plains.

Xiao Lin and Huo Dian entered Peace Town and reached Jia Nan Academy, where First Elder Su Qian welcomed them. After hearing Huo Dian’s account, Su Qian warmed to Xiao Lin but still intended to test the Dou Zong expert’s true intentions.

• Xiao Lin and Huo Dian entered Peace Town and passed the Death Spirit Tree, whose corpses warned Black-Corner Region troublemakers against breaking the peace.
• Peace Town’s law enforcement squad greeted Huo Dian respectfully and kept their distance from Xiao Lin after seeing them arrive together.
• Xiao Lin and Huo Dian toured the town before reaching Jia Nan Academy, where First Elder Su Qian and several Dou Emperor experts awaited them.
• Huo Dian spoke privately with Su Qian, who accepted that Xiao Lin might sincerely wish to join the academy but decided to test his character himself.