Chapter Summaries

Yao Lao refined nineteen bottles of Foundation-Building Elixir while Xiao Yan carefully studied his techniques and recovered through cultivation. In the morning, Xiao Xun'er trusted Xiao Yan without asking for an explanation, and they left the Xiao Clan together for Wutan City.

• Yao Lao refined eighteen batches of ingredients after demonstrating the process, producing nineteen bottles of Foundation-Building Elixir in total.
• Xiao Yan thanked Yao Lao, reviewed each alchemy step in his mind, and cultivated through the night until his body recovered.
• Xiao Xun'er visited Xiao Yan to congratulate him on regaining his strength, then assured him she would believe in him whether or not he explained what had happened.
• Xiao Yan invited Xiao Xun'er to stroll through Wutan City, and they left the Xiao Clan holding hands as its members watched them with fear and awe.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er explored Wutan City's busy market, where Galie Ao approached them and tried to join them. Xiao Yan rejected his offer and led Xun'er past him.

• Xiao Xun'er happily browsed market stalls with Xiao Yan, buying snacks and small trinkets.
• Galie Ao stepped in front of Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er and greeted Xun'er with admiration.
• Xiao Xun'er coldly told Galie Ao to step aside, while he offered to accompany them around the market.
• Xiao Yan shielded Xun'er, declined Galie Ao's offer, and prepared to walk past him with her.

Galie Ao challenged Xiao Yan in Wutan City, hoping to expose the claim that Xiao Yan had recovered his strength. Xiao Yan effortlessly beat him and destroyed his cultivation, leaving him unconscious in the arena.

• Galie Ao insulted Xiao Yan, blocked his way, and demanded a fight to test whether his strength had recovered.
• Xiao Yan agreed, and he and Galie Ao faced off at the crowded arena while Xiao Xun'er watched from the crowd.
• Galie Ao attacked with Clear Wind Step and Storm Strike, but Xiao Yan dodged him with ease and appeared behind him.
• Xiao Yan struck Galie Ao repeatedly, breaking his teeth and leaving him unable to surrender.
• Xiao Yan hit Galie Ao's dantian, shattered his Dou Zhi Qi vortex, and drained away his cultivation until he passed out.

After crippling Galie Ao with a single punch, Xiao Yan left the arena with Xiao Xun'er and took her to the Miter Auction House to auction an item. He asked for Master Gu Ni to appraise it, while Xiao Xun'er offered her wealth to help him if he needed money.

• Xiao Yan defeated Galie Ao with one punch without using Dou Qi, leaving the crowd in awe and fear.
• Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er left the square hand in hand and headed to the Miter Auction House so Xiao Yan could auction something.
• Xiao Yan entered the Appraisal Room and asked the middle-aged man to bring Master Gu Ni because he could not appraise the item.
• Xiao Xun'er offered Xiao Yan her Five-Pattern Purple-Gold Card in case he was short on money, but Xiao Yan said he would ask her for help if he needed it.

Xiao Yan had Gu Ni appraise four Foundation-Building Elixirs and arranged for them to be auctioned immediately. Gu Ni recognized Xiao Yan and, after the pair left, ordered the middle-aged man to report everything to Ya Fei.

• Xiao Yan presented four jade bottles for appraisal while Xiao Xun'er waited beside him.
• Gu Ni tested an elixir, confirmed it was a high-quality second-rank pill, and learned it increased Dou Zhi Qi cultivation speed without harming meridians.
• Gu Ni recognized Xiao Yan as the youth whose strength had once declined and reconsidered the news of his recovery and victory over Nalan Yanran.
• Xiao Yan accepted an iron token from the middle-aged man and left with Xiao Xun'er to take the elixirs to Auction Room One.
• Gu Ni told the middle-aged man to report everything about Xiao Yan and the elixirs to Ya Fei.

Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er entered the Miter Auction House, where Xiao Yan noticed leering spectators and moved them to a private room. After Xiao Xun'er questioned his interest in Ya Fei, Xiao Yan reassured her and drew her into his arms.

• Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er entered the crowded auction hall and saw Ya Fei presenting an item to eager bidders.
• Xiao Yan noticed men in the shadows leering at Xiao Xun'er and asked an attendant to take them to a private room.
• Xiao Yan spotted Xiao Zhan, Galie Bi, and Oba Pa in nearby rooms and suspected they had come to bid on the High Mystic Tier Wind Scroll Technique.
• Xiao Xun'er questioned Xiao Yan about Ya Fei's beauty, and Xiao Yan told her he already had a lovely girl beside him.
• Xiao Xun'er asked what he liked about her, and Xiao Yan embraced her as she relaxed against his chest.

Xiao Yan reassured Xiao Xun'er of his love, and she happily nestled in his arms. Meanwhile, Ya Fei paused the auction after learning that Xiao Yan had brought four high-quality second-tier medicinal pills for sale, leaving her curious about his abilities.

• Xiao Yan told Xiao Xun'er that he loved her for who she was, and she blushed and settled happily into his embrace.
• Ling Ying secretly watched the pair, concluded that Xiao Xun'er had fallen for Xiao Yan, and continued guarding them.
• Ya Fei drove fierce bidding at the auction with her charm and sold the final item in her hands.
• A maid informed Ya Fei that four superior-quality second-tier pills made by Xiao Yan had arrived and been appraised by Master Gu Ni.
• Ya Fei learned that Xiao Yan was in a second-floor private room and wondered whether he had refined the pills himself.

Ya Fei auctioned the Foundation-Building Elixir, a pill that increased cultivation speed for those below the Dou Practitioner level, while Xiao Yan gained a beginner alchemy compendium from the system. The first bottle’s bidding reached 25,000 gold coins, but the crowd hesitated over the untested elixir’s effects.

• Ya Fei introduced four bottles of Foundation-Building Elixir and cited Master Gu Ni’s appraisal to assure bidders that the pills were safe for fragile meridians.
• Xiao Yan received the Beginner Alchemist Compendium as a system reward for intercepting the Foundation-Building Elixir opportunity, and learned he could practice alchemy in Martial Dao Space.
• Bidders drove the first bottle’s price past 20,000 gold coins before slowing as they weighed the risks of buying an unfamiliar pill with unverified effects.
• A middle-aged merchant bid 25,000 gold coins for the first bottle, and Ya Fei prepared to close the sale as the crowd fell silent.

The four bottles of Foundation-Building Elixir sold for a total of 119,000 gold coins, including one bought by Steward Xiao for his grandson, Xiao Ning. The auction’s finale, the High Mystic Tier Wind Scroll Art, sparked a fierce contest among the three great families, and Galie Bi raised the bid to 600,000 gold coins.

• Oba Pa won the first bottle of Foundation-Building Elixir for 31,000 gold coins, while two mid-sized families bought the next bottles.
• Steward Xiao spent 27,000 gold coins on the fourth bottle, hoping Xiao Ning could break through and earn a chance to return to the Xiao Clan’s core household.
• Xiao Yan calculated that the four bottles had earned him 119,000 gold coins, then Ya Fei unveiled the Wind Scroll Art with a starting price of 200,000 gold coins.
• The bids rose until only Oba Pa, Galie Bi, and Xiao Zhan remained, with Xiao Zhan raising the price to 550,000 gold coins.
• Galie Bi bid 600,000 gold coins, risking a large share of the Galie Clan’s wealth to secure the cultivation method.

After the auction, Xiao Yan accepted Ya Fei’s invitation to meet at the Miter Auction House. Ya Fei welcomed him and Xiao Xun'er with tea and carefully praised him, beginning their conversation.

• Xiao Zhan conceded the bidding contest, and Galie Bi won the Wind Scroll Art.
• Xiao Yan left the auction hall with Xiao Xun'er and was stopped by a maid carrying Ya Fei’s invitation.
• Xiao Yan agreed to meet Ya Fei and followed the maid with Xiao Xun'er to her private room.
• Ya Fei and Gu Ni welcomed Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er, and Ya Fei poured them tea.
• Ya Fei told Xiao Yan she had wanted to meet him since he became a Dou Practitioner at nine and complimented him on his recovery and appearance.

Xiao Yan negotiated with Ya Fei over a partnership for selling pills through the Miter Auction House, while keeping the alchemist behind him mysterious. He accepted a more balanced revenue split, leaving Ya Fei surprised by his willingness to prioritize lasting cooperation over immediate profit.

• Xiao Yan accepted Ya Fei's Miter Auction House VIP card and gave her a list of medicinal ingredients to deduct from his auction proceeds.
• Gu Ni recognized the ingredients as those needed to refine Qi-Gathering Powder, and Xiao Yan confirmed the pill's name without revealing who would make it.
• Ya Fei asked about the alchemist behind Xiao Yan, but he rebuked her for prying into his background.
• Ya Fei proposed that the Miter Auction House cover ingredient costs, receive priority on pill auctions, and give Xiao Yan eighty percent of the proceeds plus a ten-percent purchasing discount.
• Xiao Yan questioned whether Ya Fei would still accept the risk if the hidden alchemist was not Fourth-Grade, and Ya Fei said the partnership would at least establish goodwill with him.
• Xiao Yan proposed a sixty-forty split in the Miter Auction House's favor, and Ya Fei was genuinely surprised by his offer.

Xiao Yan negotiated with Ya Fei for Miter Auction House to cut ties with the Jialie Lineage, offering Qi-Gathering Powders and a supply of pills in return. After Ya Fei agreed, he delivered Foundation-Building Elixir for auction and obtained Beast Flames and medicinal herbs, leaving with the requested supplies.

• Xiao Yan asked Ya Fei to end Miter Auction House's dealings with the Jialie Lineage and offered her three Qi-Gathering Powders, warning that the Galie Clan would disappear within half a year.
• Ya Fei agreed that Miter Auction House would no longer assist the Jialie Lineage, and she and Xiao Yan shook hands on their deal.
• Xiao Yan presented fifteen bottles of Foundation-Building Elixir, and Gu Ni confirmed that their quality matched the earlier batch.
• Xiao Yan asked to buy First- through Fourth-Order Beast Flames, and Ya Fei offered the First- and Second-Order flames while arranging transfers of the higher-order ones.
• Ya Fei gave Xiao Yan a Storage Ring containing Beast Flames and the medicinal herbs he had requested, and he inspected the supplies before leaving.

Xiao Yan left the Miter Auction House between Xiao Xun'er and Ya Fei, only to find Xiao Zhan facing an enraged Galie Bi outside. Galie Bi accused Xiao Yan of crippling Galie Ao and threatened war, while Xiao Zhan defended his son.

• Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er, and Ya Fei walked through the auction house, drawing silent, envious stares from the crowd.
• Xiao Yan and the two women exited the Miter Auction House and encountered the Xiao Clan and Galie Clan confronting each other.
• Galie Bi accused Xiao Yan of crippling his son, Galie Ao, and threatened to declare war on the Xiao Clan unless Xiao Zhan gave him an explanation.
• Xiao Zhan denied that Xiao Yan would attack without provocation and argued that Galie Ao must have provoked him first.
• Steward Xiao silently recalled Xiao Yan's harsh treatment of clan elders and doubted Xiao Zhan's claim that Yan'er was mild-mannered.

Galie Bi threatened the Xiao Clan over Xiao Yan, but Ya Fei intervened and revealed the Miter Auction House’s hidden strength. The Galie Clan withdrew after Ya Fei announced cooperation with the Xiao Clan and warned Galie Bi not to attack on Miter grounds.

• Galie Bi demanded that Xiao Zhan hand over Xiao Yan or face a fight to the death, and Xiao Zhan refused.
• Xiao Yan came out of the Miter Auction House with Xiao Xun'er, prompting Galie Bi and Xiao Zhan to charge toward him.
• Ya Fei stopped the confrontation and summoned four silver-armored guards, each at least a Five-Star Great Dou Master.
• Ya Fei announced that the Miter Auction House would cooperate with the Xiao Clan and stop providing material assistance to the Galie Clan.
• Ya Fei warned Galie Bi against attacking on Miter Auction House grounds, and he led the Galie Clan guards away after threatening to remember the grudge.

After Galie Bi retreated, Xiao Yan resolved to destroy the Galie Clan within half a year without relying on Yao Lao. Back at the Xiao Clan, he explained his plans for gathering Beast Flame and began cultivating while Yao Lao agreed to teach him alchemy the next day.

• Xiao Yan thanked Ya Fei for her help and set himself a deadline of half a year to eliminate the Galie Clan without asking Yao Lao to do it for him.
• Xiao Yan returned to the Xiao Clan with Xiao Zhan and Xiao Xun'er, while Ya Fei and Gu Ni discussed his Beast Flame purchases and Gu Ni admitted he could not reproduce the Foundation-Building Elixir.
• Yao Lao asked Xiao Yan why he had bought so much Beast Flame, and Xiao Yan explained that he could use it to strengthen his Dou Qi and potentially cultivate a powerful flame by combining many low-tier flames.
• Xiao Yan privately considered using Beast Flame to practice flame fusion for Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus, though he did not tell Yao Lao.
• Yao Lao accepted Xiao Yan's reasoning and said he would teach him alchemy the next day, then returned to the Bone Flame Ring as Xiao Yan began cultivating.

Xiao Yan exchanged twelve Second-Order Magic Cores for a year in the Martial Dao Space and trained in alchemy until he reached the Second Rank. After returning to his body, he went to a secluded cave in the back mountain to prepare for learning alchemy and devouring Beast Flame.

• Xiao Yan exchanged the twelve Second-Order Magic Cores for one year in the Martial Dao Space and began alchemy training.
• Xiao Yan repeatedly failed before refining Blood-Coagulating Powder successfully, then practiced higher-ranked formulas.
• After the year ran out, Xiao Yan's panel listed his alchemy as Second Rank, having learned nearly all first-rank pills and some second-rank pills.
• Xiao Yan returned to his body and spent the night cultivating until he had recovered.
• The next morning, Xiao Yan went to a secluded cave in the back mountain to learn alchemy and devour Beast Flame.

Yao Lao demonstrated how to refine Blood-Coagulating Powder in a hidden cave, explaining each ingredient’s preparation and the final condensation. Xiao Yan began his own attempt, impressing Yao Lao with his precise control as he prepared the cauldron and added all three ingredients.

• Xiao Yan prepared the cave, cauldron, and medicinal ingredients for his first lesson in alchemy with Yao Lao.
• Yao Lao demonstrated how to turn Dou Qi into flame, add wood-attributed energy, and refine the Blood-Coagulating Herb, Vitality Fruit, and poppy separately.
• Yao Lao combined the three medicinal essences into Blood-Coagulating Powder and divided the finished paste among jade bottles.
• Xiao Yan said he understood after watching once, then reproduced the flame and wood-energy steps with exact control.
• Xiao Yan lifted the three ingredients into the cauldron as Yao Lao watched, surprised by his precision.

Xiao Yan refined Blood-Coagulating Powder by controlling three ingredients and flame temperatures at once, then bottled more than a hundred portions. Yao Lao was astonished by his disciple’s ability but understated his praise to keep Xiao Yan from becoming conceited.

• Xiao Yan simultaneously refined the Blood-Coagulating Herb, Vitality Fruit, and poppy, then merged them into a uniform dark red paste.
• Xiao Yan divided the paste into more than a hundred portions and sealed them in jade bottles before recovering his battle qi.
• Yao Lao watched Xiao Yan’s refinement and realized his skill far exceeded that of a beginner.
• Xiao Yan asked Yao Lao for his assessment, and Yao Lao claimed the result was slightly inferior to his own past work.
• Xiao Yan recognized that Yao Lao was hiding his true praise and chose not to expose him.

Xiao Yan practiced refining Blood-Coagulating Powder, watched Yao Lao make eight bottles of Burning Blood, and absorbed eight Beast Flames. He returned to an Eight-Star Dou Fighter, awakened the One-Stripe Flame Spirit Body, and left the cave at dusk.

• Xiao Yan refined Blood-Coagulating Powder three times until his technique became stable, and Yao Lao praised his talent.
• Yao Lao demonstrated how to refine Burning Blood at full speed and made eight bottles before returning to the Bone Flame Ring to recover.
• Xiao Yan examined eight Beast Flames from Ya Fei and swallowed them one by one, absorbing their energy through the Undying Divine Flame.
• Xiao Yan's cultivation rose from a Four-Star Dou Practitioner to an Eight-Star Dou Fighter, and his physique advanced to the One-Stripe Flame Spirit Body.
• Xiao Yan tested his new strength, cleaned the cave with Beast Flame, gathered his belongings, and emerged into the dusk-covered forest.

Xiao Yan sparred with Xiao Xun'er and revealed that he had reached One-Star Dou Master in less than half a month. He recalled refining and taking a Three-Pattern Dou Practitioner Pill to break through, while keeping the secrets behind his cultivation from her.

• Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er sparred on the Xiao Clan's back mountain, and Xiao Yan realized she had advanced to Four-Star Dou Practitioner.
• Xiao Xun'er used Swallow Return Strike against Xiao Yan's Flame Burst Fist, and both were pushed back by the clash.
• Xiao Xun'er asked about Xiao Yan's cultivation, and he told her he had become a One-Star Dou Master the day before.
• Xiao Yan kept the system, Yao Lao, and the origins of his cultivation secrets hidden from Xiao Xun'er.
• Xiao Yan recalled refining ten Dou Practitioner Pills and taking a Three-Pattern pill, which carried his cultivation from Eight-Star Dou Fighter through the Dou Practitioner realm to One-Star Dou Master.