Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Auction House, Too Many Good Things”

Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yan goes to the Black Mark Auction House in Black Mark City to attend its highest-level Heaven Tier auction.
• Entry requires proof of at least one million gold coins. Xiao Yan qualifies using his Five-Pattern Purple-Gold Card and is admitted through the VIP passage.
• The auction hall is heavily guarded and lavishly designed, emphasizing the auction house’s wealth and influence.
• Xiao Yan notices Fan Ling, the young sect master of the Blood Sect, whose strength appears to be at least the Dou Ling level. Fan Ling also takes an interest in Xiao Yan, sensing something unsettling about him.
• The auction begins with a third-grade ice-element magical core weapon and continues with rare weapons, armor, Dou Techniques, cultivation methods, medicinal ingredients, pills, curios, and even a slave woman. Every item sells successfully.
• Xiao Yan spends less than one million gold coins on three rare medicinal herbs. Two of them complete the ingredient list for the Spirit-Merging Pill, allowing Medicine Elder to refine it later.
• Fan Ling purchases the Low Black Tier Thunder Bat Wings for 1.9 million gold coins. This makes Xiao Yan realize how valuable his own Mid Black Tier Purple Cloud Wings are.
• Xiao Yan becomes interested when an ancient cloth fragment containing clues to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame is offered. Since he already owns two related fragments, he bids for it.
• Fan Ling deliberately follows Xiao Yan’s bids, driving the fragment’s price from 100,000 to over 500,000 gold coins. Xiao Yan raises the price to 520,000, then abandons the bidding when Fan Ling offers 530,000, allowing Fan Ling to overpay.
• Other major sales include the Low Earth Tier Three Thousand Thunder Movement, purchased for 10.2 million gold coins, and the Seven-Grade Yin-Yang Profound Dragon Pill, bought by Elder Qing of the Heavenly Serpent Mansion for 13 million gold coins and a promise from Han Feng to fulfill two requests.
• Xiao Yan leaves the auction early, collects his herbs, and waits across the street. He follows Fan Ling after the latter exits with his followers.
• Xiao Yan intends to kill Fan Ling for interfering with him. He also realizes that the Blood Sect plans to seize the Yin-Yang Profound Dragon Pill and that Elder Qing will later die because of the conflict. Because of Qing Lin, Xiao Yan decides to save Elder Qing.

Character Development

• Xiao Yan: Displays his growing wealth, composure, and strategic intelligence. Rather than recklessly overpaying for the map fragment, he deliberately lets Fan Ling win it at an inflated price. His hostility toward Fan Ling becomes murderous, and his concern for Qing Lin motivates him to intervene on Elder Qing’s behalf.
• Fan Ling: Is established as a powerful and arrogant young sect master. He becomes suspicious of Xiao Yan and intentionally competes with him during the bidding, apparently turning a personal rivalry into a deadly confrontation.
• Elder Qing: Gains importance through her purchase of the Yin-Yang Profound Dragon Pill. Her future danger becomes a concern for Xiao Yan, who decides to protect her.
• Han Feng: His influence remains evident through the Seven-Grade pill he refined and his agreement to serve Elder Qing twice, reinforcing his status and the value of his alchemy.
• Medicine Elder: Though absent, he remains important because Xiao Yan has now acquired all ingredients necessary for refining the Spirit-Merging Pill.

Significant Themes

• Wealth and power: The auction demonstrates the enormous economic resources and high-level treasures circulating in the Black-Corner Region.
• Strategic restraint: Xiao Yan shows that winning does not always mean securing the desired item; he manipulates Fan Ling into paying more than necessary.
• Hidden danger beneath luxury: The elegant auction is also a gathering place for powerful factions, rivalries, and lethal schemes.
• Fate and opportunity: Rare treasures, especially the map fragment and Yin-Yang Profound Dragon Pill, connect the characters to larger struggles involving Heavenly Flames, alchemy, and factional conflict.
• Loyalty and responsibility: Xiao Yan’s decision to save Elder Qing is motivated by his relationship with Qing Lin, revealing that his actions are shaped not only by ambition and revenge but also by personal bonds.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Yan interacts briefly with the auction staff, who treat him respectfully after seeing his wealth.
• He questions a maid about Fan Ling, learning the young man’s identity and affiliation.
• Xiao Yan and Fan Ling communicate mainly through hostile glances and competitive bidding. Their rivalry escalates when Fan Ling repeatedly follows Xiao Yan’s bids.
• Xiao Yan’s decision to abandon the map fragment turns the bidding contest into a psychological victory, while simultaneously deepening Fan Ling’s hostility.
• Xiao Yan indirectly becomes connected to Elder Qing through the auction of the Yin-Yang Profound Dragon Pill and resolves to prevent her death.

Chapter Summary: Saving Elder Qing, Buddha’s Fury Fire Lotus Blasts Fan Lao

Key Plot Points and Events

• In a forest outside Black Mark City, twenty experts from Heavenly Serpent Mansion battle the Blood Sect. Only eight Heavenly Serpent Mansion members remain, while most Blood Sect warriors have been killed.
• Fan Lao, a powerful Dou Emperor, repeatedly ambushes the Heavenly Serpent Mansion fighters, leaving them badly wounded and preventing their escape.
• Elder Qing uses the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill as leverage, threatening to destroy it unless Fan Lao withdraws. Fan Lao responds with cruel threats against her and the other women.
• Fan Lao tricks Elder Qing, breaks the arm holding the pill, and steals it. He gives it to his son, Fan Ling, ordering him to retreat with the Blood Guards.
• Enraged and desperate, Elder Qing leads her remaining companions in a suicidal counterattack. Fan Lao severely wounds her with a blood-colored blade and prepares to kill her.
• Xiao Yan suddenly intervenes, shielding Elder Qing with his body. His Green Lotus Core Flame neutralizes most of Fan Lao’s attack, demonstrating the flames’ strong restraint over the Blood Sect’s cold cultivation technique.
• Fan Lao hesitates upon sensing Xiao Yan’s Heavenly Flame, despite believing Xiao Yan is only a Dou Ling.
• When Fan Lao attacks, Xiao Yan throws a Three-Colored Fire Lotus. The resulting explosion seriously injures Fan Lao, kills or scatters many Blood Sect warriors, and forces Fan Lao to flee.
• Xiao Yan gives Elder Qing healing medicine but does not stay. He pursues Fan Ling to recover the fragment map connected to his larger objective.
• When Elder Qing asks his identity, Xiao Yan tells her to ask Qing Lin, implying their previous connection.

Character Developments

• Elder Qing: Displays courage and responsibility by trying to protect the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill and her fellow disciples. After losing the pill and being badly wounded, she becomes willing to fight to the death. Her attitude softens toward Xiao Yan after he saves her, and she develops immediate admiration and emotional interest in him.
• Fan Lao: Reveals himself as ruthless, cruel, and calculating. Once he obtains the pill, he abandons restraint and attempts to eliminate every Heavenly Serpent Mansion survivor. His confidence collapses when Xiao Yan’s Heavenly Flame counters his technique and the Fire Lotus gravely wounds him.
• Xiao Yan: Continues to act cautiously because of the nearby Soul Hall presence, but ultimately risks revealing himself to save Elder Qing. He demonstrates improved combat judgment by exploiting the Blood Sect’s weakness to Heavenly Flames and using the Three-Colored Fire Lotus to overcome a stronger opponent. His priority remains recovering the fragment map rather than receiving thanks or pursuing every enemy.
• Fan Ling: Acts as Fan Lao’s subordinate in securing and withdrawing with the pill. His escape becomes Xiao Yan’s immediate target because he is carrying the fragment map.

Significant Themes

• Power and oppression: Fan Lao’s Dou Emperor strength allows him to make death—or even escape—nearly impossible for weaker opponents.
• Cruelty and survival: The chapter emphasizes that in a lawless world, the strong can inflict fates worse than death on the powerless.
• Courage and sacrifice: Elder Qing and her disciples choose resistance despite overwhelming odds, refusing to submit to Fan Lao.
• Hidden strength and strategy: Xiao Yan’s apparent Dou Ling cultivation conceals his true destructive power. His success depends on using Heavenly Flames as a natural counter to Fan Lao’s technique rather than relying solely on raw strength.
• Heroism in a selfish world: Elder Qing is surprised that Xiao Yan saves her without demanding a reward, contrasting him with the self-serving figures common in the Black-Corner Region.
• Consequences of greed and overconfidence: Fan Lao’s attempt to secure the pill and silence all witnesses leaves him vulnerable to Xiao Yan’s sudden attack.

Important Character Interactions

• Elder Qing and Fan Lao: Their confrontation centers on the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill. Fan Lao uses threats and deception, while Elder Qing attempts to protect both the pill and her disciples.
• Xiao Yan and Elder Qing: Xiao Yan rescues her from certain death, gives her medicine, and leaves without seeking recognition. His cryptic reference to Qing Lin reveals a personal connection.
• Xiao Yan and Fan Lao: Their brief clash pits Xiao Yan’s Heavenly Flames and Fire Lotus against Fan Lao’s blood-based, cold cultivation. Xiao Yan’s counterattack decisively shifts the battle.
• Fan Lao and Fan Ling: Fan Lao entrusts the stolen pill to his son and orders him to retreat, but this separation allows Xiao Yan to pursue Fan Ling while Fan Lao is forced to flee.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Before Fan Ling leaves, Medicine Elder secretly places a Soul Mark on him, allowing Xiao Yan to track him.
• Xiao Yan follows Fan Ling and discovers him battling members of the Black Skeleton Tomb. Fan Ling is using a blood-red bow and arrows, while both sides suffer heavy casualties.
• Fan Ling obtains the earth-tier movement technique Three Thousand Thunder Movement and becomes distracted by his apparent success.
• Xiao Yan ambushes the survivors, seizes the scroll, and admits that he followed Fan Ling because of the mysterious ancient cloth connected to the technique.
• Xiao Yan throws a stored Three-Colored Buddha’s Fury Fire Lotus at Fan Ling. The explosion severely mutilates Fan Ling, kills nine Blood Guards, and critically injures the remaining Dou Ling elder.
• Xiao Yan executes the surviving elder, collects four Storage Rings, and leaves before anyone else can interfere.
• Inside the Portable Space, Xiao Yan examines his spoils. He finds:
  • A fragment of the

Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame

• The

Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill

Thunder Bat Wings

• Pills, medicinal ingredients, money, and other items
• He transfers more than five million gold coins to his own card and burns Fan Ling’s embarrassing collection of unwashed women’s clothing after Medicine Elder teases him.
• Xiao Yan consumes the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill, not to rely on its resurrection effect, but to extract its embedded Dragon Qi.
• By circulating his Flame Mantra Dou Qi through his meridians, Xiao Yan successfully integrates the Dragon Qi into his cultivation and uses it with Lion’s Roar.
• His resulting roar displays terrifying soul-shaking power: nearby trees break, and Magic Beasts across a wide area are killed, stunned, or paralyzed by fear.
• Medicine Elder praises Xiao Yan’s successful inheritance of the Dragon Qi and urges him to go to Jia Nan Academy to seek the Falling Heart Flame.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yan demonstrates increasing confidence, ruthlessness, and tactical skill. He waits for Fan Ling and the Black Skeleton Tomb to weaken each other before ambushing them.
• His growing mastery of the Fire God Space allows him to store and deploy powerful Buddha’s Fury Fire Lotuses instantly, greatly improving his combat efficiency.
• Xiao Yan’s physical body and meridians have become strong enough to withstand extremely rapid Dou Qi circulation and the dangerous process of absorbing Dragon Qi.
• He gains a new method of attacking soul bodies, expanding his abilities beyond ordinary physical combat.
• Fan Ling becomes arrogant after obtaining Three Thousand Thunder Movement, imagining praise from Fan Lao. His confidence collapses when Xiao Yan ambushes him, and he is left incapacitated.
• Medicine Elder continues to guide Xiao Yan, monitor his progress, and encourage him toward the next major objective.

Significant Themes

• Preparation and strategic patience: Xiao Yan allows others to exhaust themselves before striking, emphasizing intelligence over direct confrontation.
• Power through accumulated resources: The stored fire lotuses, Heavenly Flames, Dragon Qi, and specialized techniques show how Xiao Yan’s preparation steadily broadens his strength.
• The danger of arrogance: Fan Ling’s greed and premature pride leave him vulnerable to Xiao Yan’s attack.
• Transformation through cultivation: The Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill is used not simply as a life-saving treasure but as a means of refining Xiao Yan’s body, Dou Qi, and soul-related abilities.
• Mentorship and growth: Medicine Elder’s guidance remains central, while Xiao Yan increasingly acts with confidence and independence.

Character Interactions

• Medicine Elder and Xiao Yan: Medicine Elder helps track Fan Ling, advises Xiao Yan on the Dragon Qi, praises his success, and directs him toward Jia Nan Academy. Their relationship remains supportive and lightly teasing.
• Xiao Yan and Fan Ling: Their brief exchange is hostile and mocking. Fan Ling realizes Xiao Yan followed him for the ancient cloth, but Xiao Yan immediately ends the conversation with a fire-lotus attack.
• Fan Ling and the Black Skeleton Tomb: Their battle is driven by mutual hostility and Fan Ling’s greed for Three Thousand Thunder Movement.
• Xiao Yan and the defeated elder: Xiao Yan shows no mercy, finishing the elder after the explosion leaves him unable to resist.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yan leaves his Portable Space and travels from Black Mark City toward Peace Town using his Purple Cloud Wings, taking three days to reach the town.
• Near Peace Town, he sees the terrifying Dead Spirit Tree, a gigantic leafless tree bearing the corpses of Black-Corner Region experts killed by Jia Nan Academy. The tree serves as a warning and symbol of the Academy’s authority.
• At Peace Town’s entrance, visitors must register and take a Killing Intent Sensing Pill, which causes anyone harboring murderous intent to glow red. Xiao Yan refuses to swallow his pill, explaining that he is a Jia Nan Academy student.
• The guards verify his identity and provide him with an azure badge and a Griffin Beast ride to Canaan City.
• In Canaan City, Xiao Yan pays a carriage driver fifteen gold coins to take him directly to Jia Nan Academy rather than wait for more passengers.
• Upon arriving at the Academy, Xiao Yan witnesses his cousin Xiao Ning being attacked by four Dou Masters led by Qingzhu Moke, who is pursuing Xiao Ning’s cousin.
• Xiao Yan intervenes, easily knocks Moke away, and suppresses him with the aura of a Dou Ling. He warns Moke never to trouble the Xiao Household again, frightening him so badly that he loses control of his bladder.
• Xiao Yan helps Xiao Ning up and greets him after nearly two years apart.

2. Character Developments

• Xiao Yan demonstrates increased strength, confidence, and authority. He travels alone through the dangerous Black-Corner Region, calmly handles the suspicious Peace Town guards, and effortlessly defeats a group of Dou Masters.
• His behavior remains controlled and pragmatic: he avoids unnecessary fighting, pays extra for convenience, and uses intimidation only when defending his family.
• Xiao Yan’s reputation as a Jia Nan Academy student has grown during his two-year absence, and even the town guards recognize his name.
• Xiao Ning, once hostile toward Xiao Yan because of Xun’er, is shown to be more mature and capable but still vulnerable when outnumbered.
• Qingzhu Moke is portrayed as arrogant, entitled, and dependent on his family’s influence. His confidence collapses immediately when confronted by Xiao Yan’s superior strength.

3. Significant Themes

• Authority and deterrence: Peace Town’s rules, the Dead Spirit Tree, and the Killing Intent Sensing Pill show how Jia Nan Academy maintains order in the violent Black-Corner Region.
• Growth and return: Xiao Yan’s arrival at the Academy marks his return after a long absence, emphasizing how much his power and reputation have changed.
• Family loyalty: Xiao Yan intervenes when Xiao Ning is threatened, showing that despite past tension, he remains protective of the Xiao Household.
• Strength versus arrogance: Moke relies on status and numbers, while Xiao Yan’s genuine power allows him to end the confrontation instantly.
• Order within chaos: The contrast between the brutal Black-Corner Region and the disciplined Peace Town highlights the Academy’s stabilizing influence.

4. Character Interactions

• Xiao Yan interacts cautiously with the Peace Town law-enforcement team, who initially suspect him of concealing murderous intent but become impressed after confirming his identity.
• The carriage driver treats Xiao Yan with increased respect after learning he is an Academy student.
• Moke and Xiao Ning clash over Moke’s pursuit of Xiao Ning’s cousin, with Moke insulting the Xiao Household and Xiao Ning resisting him despite being outnumbered.
• Xiao Yan decisively confronts Moke, humiliates him, and establishes that threatening the Xiao Household will have serious consequences.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Yan warmly greeting Xiao Ning, suggesting a possible reconciliation or renewed family connection.

Chapter Summary: “Yellow Class, Class 2: Xiao Yan Appears”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yan reunites with Xiao Ning inside Jia Nan Academy. Their former hostility has faded after years apart and shared hardships, allowing them to reconnect as family.
• Xiao Ning explains the situation at the academy:
  • Xiao Xun’er, Xiao Ning, and Xiao Mei are known as the Xiao Household’s “three golden flowers.”
  • Xun’er has attracted many admirers but remains devoted to Xiao Yan.
  • Qingzhu Moke, unable to pursue Xun’er because of his inferiority complex, has harassed Xiao Mei instead. Xiao Ning has repeatedly defended her, creating a rivalry with him.
• Xiao Ning informs Xiao Yan that the Inner Academy selection tournament is already underway. Xiao Yan’s absence had previously cost Instructor Ruolin her chance to advance, so she submitted his name again after Xun’er pleaded with her.
• Xiao Yan rushes toward the tournament, determined both to enter the Inner Academy and to repay Ruolin’s trust. He hopes to use the Inner Academy’s Falling Heart Flame for his cultivation.
• Meanwhile, Xiao Xun’er defeats Senior Yanlin in the tournament. Although Yanlin is considered one of the academy’s stronger students, he is eliminated because he drew Xun’er on the first day.
• Instructor Ruolin worries that Xiao Yan may fail to arrive. Xun’er declares that she will give up her Inner Academy position and wait another year if he does not appear, despite knowing this could prevent Ruolin from advancing.
• Xiao Yan is finally matched against Li Little Fatty. Because he is absent, Li Little Fatty expects to win automatically under the tournament’s ten-second rule.
• Just before the referee declares Li Little Fatty the winner, Xiao Yan arrives dramatically by leaping over the viewing stands and landing on the arena. He announces himself to the stunned crowd: “Yellow Class, Class 2. Xiao Yan!”

Character Developments

• Xiao Yan: Shows maturity and renewed family loyalty. He is determined to fulfill his obligations to Xun’er and Ruolin while pursuing his own goal of entering the Inner Academy. His dramatic entrance establishes his confidence and powerful presence.
• Xiao Ning: Has grown more understanding and protective. His past anger toward Xiao Yan has disappeared, and he now acts as a supportive relative and protector of the Xiao women.
• Xiao Xun’er: Remains deeply loyal and devoted to Xiao Yan. Her willingness to sacrifice another year of advancement for him emphasizes the strength of her affection and commitment.
• Instructor Ruolin: Demonstrates perseverance and faith in Xiao Yan by risking another missed advancement opportunity to give him a chance to compete.
• Xiao Yu: Continues to be protective of Xun’er and resentful toward Xiao Yan for making Xun’er wait, though her hostility is rooted in concern for her cousin.
• Li Little Fatty: Appears opportunistic and pleased by Xiao Yan’s absence, expecting an easy victory through the tournament rules.
• Xiao Ning and Qingzhu Moke: Their conflict is framed as part of Xiao Ning’s responsibility to protect Xiao Mei from unwanted harassment.

Significant Themes

• Family reconciliation: Time, hardship, and shared blood ties have allowed Xiao Yan and Xiao Ning to overcome their former resentment.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Xun’er and Ruolin both risk personal opportunities for Xiao Yan, showing how strongly he is valued by those close to him.
• Reputation and expectation: Xiao Yan has become famous throughout the academy before even appearing, especially because of his connection with Xun’er and the resentment of her admirers.
• Fate and opportunity: The tournament’s random matchups emphasize the role of luck, while Xiao Yan’s late arrival highlights how narrowly opportunities can be lost.
• Return and recognition: Xiao Yan’s entrance marks his return to the academy and sets up his confrontation with the students who have heard of him but never seen him.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Yan and Xiao Ning reconnect warmly and exchange news about the academy.
• Xiao Ning explains Qingzhu Moke’s harassment of Xiao Mei and his own role in defending her.
• Xun’er defeats Yanlin respectfully, showing both superior strength and courtesy.
• Ruolin questions whether Xun’er will continue waiting for Xiao Yan; Xun’er confirms that she will.
• Xiao Yu criticizes Xiao Yan for making Xun’er wait and promises to make him apologize.
• Li Little Fatty tries to claim victory by default, but Xiao Yan interrupts the announcement with his sudden arrival, immediately commanding the attention of the entire academy.

Chapter Summary: “That Kiss, Everlasting”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yan makes a dramatic return to Jia Nan Academy after two years of training and enters the Inner Academy Selection Competition.
• Bai Shan, one of Xiao Xun’er’s admirers, looks down on Xiao Yan, while Hu Jia and her grandfather Hu Gan recognize that Xiao Yan is more formidable than he appears.
• Li Little Fatty challenges Xiao Yan to a match, partly to test whether he is worthy of Xun’er. Xiao Yan defeats him instantly with a single ordinary punch, breaking through his Dou Qi armor and sending him out of the arena.
• After the victory, Xiao Yan reunites with Xiao Xun’er. Overcome with emotion, Xun’er embraces him in front of everyone, and Xiao Yan kisses her. Their prolonged kiss publicly confirms their deep relationship and leaves the spectators shocked and heartbroken.
• Xiao Yan apologizes to Instructor Ruolin for being absent during his two years of training. She tells him that qualifying for the top fifty alongside Xun’er will make up for the trouble he caused.
• That evening, Bai Shan confronts Xiao Yan at his residence and demands that he leave Xun’er. He challenges Xiao Yan to a duel, claiming that the loser should give her up.
• Before Xiao Yan can respond, Xun’er intervenes, blocking Bai Shan’s attack with her own Dou Qi. She reprimands Bai Shan for causing trouble and makes it clear that her loyalty lies with Xiao Yan.
• Bai Shan realizes that Xun’er does not share his feelings and leaves, concealing his humiliation behind a forced smile.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yan: Returns as a confident and overwhelmingly powerful fighter. His effortless defeat of Li Little Fatty demonstrates his growth, while his affectionate reunion with Xun’er reveals his renewed commitment to her and his determination not to disappoint her.
• Xiao Xun’er: Freely expresses her love for Xiao Yan, abandoning her usual reserve by embracing and kissing him publicly. She also becomes firm and protective when confronting Bai Shan, openly defending Xiao Yan and rejecting Bai Shan’s advances.
• Bai Shan: Begins as arrogant and dismissive, believing Xiao Yan is unworthy of Xun’er. His failed challenge exposes his jealousy and insecurity. Xun’er’s rejection forces him to recognize that his hopes of winning her affection were unrealistic.
• Li Little Fatty: Though initially boastful and eager to test Xiao Yan, he is completely outmatched and defeated almost immediately.
• Instructor Ruolin: Remains mildly annoyed by Xiao Yan’s long absence but accepts his apology and challenges him to prove himself in the selection competition.
• Hu Jia and Hu Gan: Both show interest in Xiao Yan’s return, with Hu Gan immediately sensing that Xiao Yan possesses unusual strength.

Significant Themes

• Devotion and enduring love: Xun’er’s loyalty has remained unchanged throughout Xiao Yan’s rise and fall, and Xiao Yan is deeply moved by the fact that she continued loving and protecting him despite his relationships with other women.
• Public affirmation of love: Their kiss transforms their private longing into a public declaration, showing that neither cares about social judgment.
• Jealousy and unrequited affection: Bai Shan’s hostility comes from his inability to accept Xun’er’s love for someone else.
• Strength versus arrogance: Xiao Yan’s calm, effortless victory contrasts with Li Little Fatty’s and Bai Shan’s attempts to establish status through bravado.
• Growth and responsibility: Xiao Yan’s return is not only a display of increased power but also a promise to honor Xun’er’s unwavering support.

Important Character Interactions

• Xiao Yan and Li Little Fatty: A brief confrontation in which Xiao Yan’s superior physical strength ends the match instantly.
• Xiao Yan and Xun’er: Their emotional reunion culminates in an intimate kiss, reaffirming their mutual love and connection.
• Xiao Yan and Instructor Ruolin: Xiao Yan acknowledges the burden his absence placed on her, while she demands results in the upcoming competition.
• Xiao Yan and Bai Shan: Bai Shan attempts to challenge Xiao Yan over Xun’er, but the confrontation is interrupted before it can become a full battle.
• Xun’er and Bai Shan: Xun’er decisively rejects Bai Shan’s behavior and warns him not to continue troubling them, making her allegiance to Xiao Yan unmistakable.

Chapter Summary: A Grand Melee: Xiao Yan Against Three

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Inner Academy selection competition is abruptly restructured. Instead of several rounds over seven days, all 150 remaining contestants must fight in a single grand melee.
• The first fifty contestants remaining on the arena will enter the Inner Academy, while the final five will earn access to the Library Pavilion.
• Hu Gan explains that the format reflects the unfair, competitive nature of life, where alliances and social influence are also forms of strength.
• Five groups form:
  • Lu Mu’s 25-person Alchemy Department group
  • Hu Jia’s 55-person group
  • Bai Shan’s 35-person group
  • Wu Hao’s 29-person Enforcement Team group
  • Xiao Yan and Xun’er, who stand together as a two-person team
• Bai Shan proposes eliminating Xiao Yan first because of his jealousy over Xun’er. Hu Jia and Wu Hao agree to cooperate, while Lu Mu refuses after Xiao Yan declines to help him pursue Xiao Yu.
• Bai Shan attacks Xiao Yan with powerful lightning techniques, but Xiao Yan catches and burns away his spear using Purple Flame, then stores the weapon in his Storage Ring.
• Realizing Xiao Yan is far stronger than expected, Bai Shan joins forces with Wu Hao and Hu Jia. The three attack together using lightning, blood, and wood-based techniques.
• Xiao Yan counters by activating his Purple Cloud Wings and taking to the air, making the ground-based attacks ineffective.
• In desperation, Bai Shan orders the others to create chaos by attacking their own allies. This triggers a massive free-for-all across the arena.
• Contestants are rapidly eliminated. After half an hour, only Xiao Yan, Xun’er, Bai Shan, Wu Hao, and Hu Jia remain—the five finalists qualified for the Library Pavilion.

2. Character Developments

• Xiao Yan demonstrates overwhelming superiority. His strength as a Seven-Star Dou Ling, powerful physical body, Purple Flame, and flying Dou Technique place him far above the other contestants.
• He remains calm and confident despite becoming the target of nearly the entire competition.
• Xun’er continues to show complete trust in Xiao Yan and is unfazed when surrounded by Bai Shan’s group. Her confidence reflects her deep faith in his abilities.
• Bai Shan becomes increasingly desperate and humiliated. His jealousy toward Xiao Yan motivates his initial attack, but after losing his spear and failing to overpower Xiao Yan, he resorts to manipulating the battlefield.
• Wu Hao and Hu Jia recognize Xiao Yan as a serious threat and cooperate with Bai Shan, though neither is willing to confront him alone.
• Lu Mu is portrayed as opportunistic and romantically interested in Xiao Yu, but he avoids direct involvement after Xiao Yan refuses to intervene on his behalf.
• Hu Gan and the elders are impressed by Xiao Yan’s strength and acknowledge that he may be capable of defeating the entire arena by himself.

3. Significant Themes

• The unfairness and competitiveness of life: The new rules emphasize that survival often depends not only on individual ability but also on alliances, reputation, and social connections.
• Strength versus numbers: The massed contestants initially believe teamwork can defeat Xiao Yan, but his overwhelming power makes their numerical advantage ineffective.
• Jealousy and rivalry: Bai Shan’s hostility is driven largely by his desire for Xun’er and resentment toward Xiao Yan.
• Trust and loyalty: Xun’er remains beside Xiao Yan despite the danger, while the other contestants’ alliances prove temporary and self-serving.
• Adaptability under pressure: When direct attacks fail, Bai Shan changes tactics and turns the competition into chaos to preserve his own chances.
• Individual power disrupting systems: Xiao Yan’s strength threatens to make the carefully designed grand melee meaningless, since he appears capable of eliminating everyone himself.

4. Character Interactions

• Xiao Yan and Xun’er act as a united pair, exchanging glances and moving onto the arena together. Xun’er openly supports him and remains calm throughout the battle.
• Xiao Yu and Ruolin worry that Xiao Yan will be targeted because of his relationship with Xun’er, while Xiao Yu angrily mocks Lu Mu for trying to use Xiao Yan to win her affection.
• Lu Mu offers not to join the attack if Xiao Yan will recommend him to Xiao Yu, but Xiao Yan refuses to interfere in their relationship.
• Bai Shan attempts to isolate Xiao Yan from Xun’er by ordering his group to surround her while he attacks Xiao Yan directly.
• After Xiao Yan defeats Bai Shan’s first assault, Bai Shan persuades Wu Hao and Hu Jia to join him. Their cooperation collapses into mutual attacks when Xiao Yan takes to the air and gains the advantage.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Yan and Xun’er standing among the final five alongside their three principal rivals: Bai Shan, Wu Hao, and Hu Jia.

Chapter Summary: Treasure Hunt in the Library Pavilion, Wind-Thunder Fruit

Key Plot Points and Events

• Five days after the great melee, the final five competitors—Hu Jia, Bai Shan, Wu Hao, Xun’er, and Xiao Yan—earn the right to enter the Inner Academy’s Library Pavilion.
• Hu Gan leads them through a hidden passage beneath the library into a secluded valley containing the ancient pavilion.
• The pavilion exists in a separate spatial dimension and is guarded by Qian Mu and Bai Lie, the powerful “Qian Bai Er Lao,” whose strength is at the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Zong realm.
• The elders recognize that Xiao Yan possesses the Green Lotus Core Flame but discreetly reveal this only to him through soul transmission. Xiao Yan remains cautious, knowing he cannot challenge them.
• The contestants are allowed one hour inside the pavilion and may ultimately take only one treasure each. The treasures are contained within energy barriers and appear as floating energy spheres.
• Xiao Yan initially obtains a Heavenly Jade Fruit, capable of increasing a cultivator’s strength, but discards it because he fears revealing the existence of his Portable Space by storing it.
• The contestants continue testing and rejecting treasures:
  • Bai Shan obtains transparent silkworm-silk armor.
  • Hu Jia obtains an unidentified purple medicinal pill.
  • Wu Hao obtains a Dou Technique scroll.
  • Xun’er first obtains and rejects the High Profound Tier Purple Thunder Art, later choosing the Low Earth Tier Ninefold Phoenix Fire Art.
  • Xiao Yan obtains and discards the Lion-Tiger Shattering Metal Chant because he already possesses the stronger-suited Lion’s Roar.
• With less than ten minutes remaining, Bai Shan mocks Xiao Yan for continuing to search and risking leaving empty-handed.
• Xiao Yan ignores him, relies on his powerful soul perception, and finally selects a purple fruit surrounded by flashing lightning—the Wind-Thunder Fruit.
• Before the quality or effects of the fruit can be explained, the one-hour limit expires. The pavilion’s rejection force teleports all five contestants back to the valley.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yan: Demonstrates patience, discernment, and caution. Rather than settling for a merely valuable treasure, he searches for something that better suits his needs. He also protects the secret of his Portable Space and avoids revealing the full extent of his abilities.
• Xun’er: Shows extremely high standards by rejecting a valuable High Profound Tier Dou Technique and eventually selecting a Low Earth Tier cultivation method, suggesting that she values suitability and long-term usefulness over apparent rank.
• Bai Shan: Continues displaying hostility and competitiveness toward Xiao Yan, taking pleasure in his apparent indecision and hoping he will fail.
• Hu Jia and Wu Hao: Select useful treasures without major conflict, reflecting their practical approach to the opportunity.
• Qian Mu and Bai Lie: Their overwhelming strength and perceptive abilities establish the immense power and mystery surrounding the Inner Academy.

Significant Themes

• Choice and discernment: The treasure hunt is not simply about obtaining the strongest-looking item; each contestant must judge what best fits their cultivation and abilities.
• Patience versus haste: Xiao Yan’s refusal to settle for mediocre treasures contrasts with Bai Shan’s mockery and emphasizes the value of waiting for the right opportunity.
• Secrecy and self-preservation: Xiao Yan carefully conceals both his Heavenly Flame and Portable Space, recognizing that powerful abilities can attract danger.
• Individual suitability over rankings: Xun’er’s rejection of a high-ranked technique reinforces that a treasure’s usefulness depends on the user, not merely its classification.
• Competition and rivalry: Bai Shan’s antagonism toward Xiao Yan continues, while the contestants’ differing choices reveal their priorities and personalities.

Character Interactions

• Hu Gan formally presents the five finalists to the pavilion’s guardians.
• The Qian Bai Er Lao silently communicate with Xiao Yan about his Green Lotus Core Flame, creating a private exchange hidden from the others.
• The five compete directly while observing and reacting to one another’s discoveries.
• Bai Shan taunts Xiao Yan near the end of the selection, but Xiao Yan responds only with a cold glance and remains focused.
• The chapter ends with all five being forcibly returned to the valley just as Xiao Yan claims the mysterious Wind-Thunder Fruit.

Chapter Summary: Taking the Wind-Thunder Fruit, Cultivating Three Thousand Thunder Movement

Key Plot Points and Events

• With only five days remaining before entering the Inner Academy, Xiao Yan and the others begin intensive cultivation to prepare for the more dangerous competition ahead.
• Xun’er offers Xiao Yan the Low Earth Tier Ninefold Phoenix Fire Art, believing his current cultivation technique is inferior. Xiao Yan refuses because of the special circumstances preventing him from changing techniques, and Xun’er decides to cultivate it herself.
• Xiao Yan enters his Portable Space and shows Medicine Elder the Wind-Thunder Fruit he obtained from the Library Pavilion.
• Medicine Elder explains that the fruit contains gentle wind-and-lightning energy and can help Xiao Yan master Three Thousand Thunder Movement, a powerful technique inherited by the Wind-Lightning Pavilion.
• Xiao Yan consumes and refines the fruit using the Flame Mantra and his Heavenly Flames. The process painfully tempers his meridians and body, but he successfully absorbs the energy after nine circulation cycles.
• To unlock the technique’s true inheritance, Xiao Yan creates a thunderstorm within the Portable Space and opens the scroll he stole from Fan Ling. The scroll releases lightning figures and a sealed thread of violent wind-and-lightning energy.
• Using his previous experience with the Wind-Thunder Fruit, Xiao Yan easily refines the scroll’s energy and absorbs the technique’s movements and circulation method into his mind.
• After resting, Xiao Yan begins practicing the technique. Three days later, he successfully masters the first level, Lightning Flash.
• He tests the technique by racing through the Portable Space’s forest. His speed reaches approximately ninety meters per second, comparable to flying with his Purple Cloud Wings.
• Unlike ordinary cultivators, who can use Lightning Flash for only a few minutes, Xiao Yan can sustain it for nearly an hour because the Portable Space provides him with effectively limitless energy. His version of Three Thousand Thunder Movement is therefore greatly enhanced.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yan becomes more cautious and pragmatic about cultivation. He refuses to risk himself unnecessarily and is willing to abandon techniques if they pose excessive danger.
• He demonstrates growing control over his Flame Mantra, Heavenly Flames, battle qi, and Portable Space, allowing him to refine dangerous energy safely.
• Xiao Yan’s physical body and meridians are strengthened through the Wind-Thunder Fruit’s lightning tempering.
• He successfully adds a powerful movement technique to his arsenal, significantly improving his speed and combat mobility.
• Xun’er continues to show her generosity and concern for Xiao Yan by offering him a valuable cultivation technique. She also respects his secrets and decisions rather than forcing him to explain them.
• Medicine Elder acts as Xiao Yan’s teacher and guide, explaining the dangers and requirements of Three Thousand Thunder Movement. He is impressed by Xiao Yan’s unusual advantages and successful cultivation.

Significant Themes

• Preparation through cultivation: The looming threat of the Inner Academy motivates the characters to improve themselves urgently.
• Risk versus reward: Xiao Yan is willing to pursue powerful abilities only when he can control or minimize the danger.
• Unique advantages and adaptation: Xiao Yan combines the Wind-Thunder Fruit, Heavenly Flames, Portable Space, and his resilient body to overcome difficulties that would cripple ordinary cultivators.
• Loyalty and generosity: Xun’er’s willingness to share an extremely valuable technique reinforces her devotion to Xiao Yan.
• Power amplified by circumstance: The Portable Space transforms Three Thousand Thunder Movement from a limited technique into an exceptionally sustainable and powerful ability.

Character Interactions

• Xun’er and Xiao Yan share a warm, trusting exchange over the Ninefold Phoenix Fire Art. Xiao Yan appreciates her kindness, while Xun’er accepts his refusal without pressing him.
• Medicine Elder instructs Xiao Yan about the Wind-Thunder Fruit and the dangers of absorbing the scroll’s sealed energy.
• Medicine Elder is astonished when Xiao Yan manipulates the Portable Space to create a thunderstorm, mistakenly reacting as though Xiao Yan himself controls the weather.
• After Xiao Yan masters Lightning Flash, Medicine Elder humorously criticizes him for shouting the technique’s name while standing still. Xiao Yan then demonstrates its true speed by racing through the forest.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Yan and the other new students are escorted through the dangerous back mountains to a hidden entrance to Jia Nan Academy’s Inner Academy, concealed behind a Space Lock barrier.
• The elders give each newcomer a black crystal chip containing five days of “Fire Energy,” a valuable Inner Academy currency used to enter the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
• Before they can reach the Inner Academy, the students must cross a forest where teams of older students will try to steal their Fire Energy. Reaching the academy within three days while keeping their chips earns a reward. This trial is called the Fire Energy Hunting Competition.
• Hu Gan advises the newcomers to travel in small groups and avoid older students rather than fight them. He suggests Xiao Yan and the other four top-ranked students form a team.
• Xiao Yan initially dislikes the idea of sharing potential spoils and insults Hu Jia, Wu Hao, and Bai Shan as burdens. Hu Gan warns him not to undermine unity.
• Xiao Yan agrees to form the group on the condition that he is captain and the others obey his commands. Hu Gan accepts, and the team enters the forest.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Yan shows confidence and a calculating streak: he sees the competition as a chance to gain Fire Energy, but resents having to share it. He ultimately accepts teamwork on terms that give him authority.
• Hu Gan acts as both escort and disciplinarian. He understands the newcomers’ disadvantage and stresses cooperation, while his position as a powerful dean makes Xiao Yan cautious.
• Hu Jia’s quick temper surfaces when Xiao Yan insults the group; she appeals to her grandfather, Hu Gan, to intervene.
• Bai Shan also takes offense at Xiao Yan’s remarks. Wu Hao and the others agree to follow Xiao Yan once he is named captain.
• Xiao Yan enters the forest holding Xun’er’s hand, signaling their closeness as the new team begins the trial.

Significant themes

• Hierarchy and initiation: New students face a deliberately harsh test imposed by their seniors.
• Cooperation versus self-interest: The competition rewards protecting one another, while Xiao Yan initially focuses on personal gain.
• Power and leadership: Xiao Yan accepts responsibility for the group only when granted command, setting up tension around whether his confidence will translate into effective leadership.

Chapter Summary: “Counter-Robbing the Old Students, Massive Fire Energy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yan’s five-person team encounters an old student group shortly after entering the forest for the Fire Energy Hunting Competition.
• Although the old students initially allow them to pass, Xiao Yan decides to reverse the competition’s usual power dynamic and rob them instead.
• Wu Hao, Hu Jia, and Xun’er support Xiao Yan’s decision, while Bai Shan reluctantly agrees. Xiao Yan quickly overwhelms the fleeing old students, allowing his teammates to capture them.
• The team seizes ninety-eight days of Fire Energy and divides it among themselves, giving each member nineteen days immediately and retaining the remainder for later distribution.
• The defeated old students warn them about the Black and White Fiends, powerful old-student groups containing Dou Ling-level experts. Xiao Yan remains confident and openly challenges them.
• Over the next several hours, Xiao Yan’s team robs two more old-student groups, gaining roughly forty additional days of Fire Energy from each. Their reputation spreads, causing other old-student teams to flee upon recognizing them.
• Rather than immediately rescuing freshmen being robbed by old students, Xiao Yan allows the freshmen to suffer temporarily. He explains that returning the Fire Energy later will make them appreciate the team’s help more deeply.
• The team later intercepts another old-student group that is unaware of their reputation. Wu Hao, Bai Shan, and Hu Jia severely injure four opponents with a coordinated attack.
• Xun’er defeats the remaining Six-Star Grand Dou Master using precise, powerful palm techniques that rebound the opponent’s own force back at him.
• By nightfall, news of the freshman team’s counter-robbing spreads throughout the forest. Unrobbed freshmen begin gathering around Xiao Yan’s group, while old-student teams—including the Black and White Fiends—move toward them for a confrontation.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yan establishes himself as a decisive and domineering leader. He refuses to follow the conventional rules imposed by the old students and turns the competition into an opportunity to build influence and accumulate Fire Energy.
• Xun’er demonstrates unwavering trust in Xiao Yan and proves her exceptional combat ability by defeating the strongest opponent in the second battle. Her closeness to Xiao Yan also reinforces their romantic bond.
• Wu Hao embraces Xiao Yan’s aggressive strategy enthusiastically, revealing his love of battle and willingness to follow strong leadership.
• Hu Jia is excited by the prospect of freshmen challenging old students. Her admiration for Xiao Yan grows as she witnesses both his strength and strategic thinking.
• Bai Shan remains cautious and skeptical but ultimately follows Xiao Yan’s orders. His continued attraction to Xun’er creates tension, especially as he watches her fight alongside Xiao Yan.
• The old students shift from confidence to fear and frustration as Xiao Yan’s team repeatedly defeats them and gains a dangerous reputation.

Significant Themes

• Reversal of power: Freshmen challenge the established authority of the old students, transforming themselves from prey into predators.
• Leadership and strategy: Xiao Yan combines overwhelming strength with calculated public influence, understanding that reputation can be as valuable as direct combat.
• The value of hardship: Xiao Yan deliberately allows some freshmen to be robbed so that his later assistance will be more meaningful and appreciated.
• Competition and survival: Fire Energy functions as both a reward and a source of power, making the competition a test of strength, cooperation, and resource management.
• Confidence versus caution: Xiao Yan’s boldness contrasts with Bai Shan’s concern about the Black and White Fiends, foreshadowing a larger conflict.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Yan asserts authority over the group and demands obedience, while Xun’er, Wu Hao, and Hu Jia readily support him.
• Bai Shan challenges Xiao Yan’s decision but eventually submits to his leadership.
• Xun’er and Xiao Yan display clear intimacy, with Xiao Yan placing an arm around her and Xun’er openly calling him “Brother Xiao Yan.”
• Hu Jia admires both Xiao Yan’s tactics and Xun’er’s strength, even embracing Xun’er after her victory.
• Bai Shan and Wu Hao continue to harbor feelings for Xun’er, but Xiao Yan’s closeness to her highlights their rivalry.
• The chapter ends with freshmen converging around Xiao Yan for protection and old students gathering to retaliate, setting up an impending large-scale clash.

Chapter Summary: “New and Old Showdown: Inner Academy, Your King Has Arrived”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yan gathers fifty freshmen and fifty old students in the forest and announces that he will lead the freshmen safely into the Inner Academy.
• He promises to restore the Fire Energy stolen from the freshmen, inspiring those who had previously been timid or defeated.
• The Black and White Fiend Teams, led by Sha Tie and Luo Hou, challenge Xiao Yan. The two captains agree to attack separately, with the Black Fiend Team going first.
• Xiao Yan confronts Sha Tie, a peak Da Dou Shi with defensive Gold-Attribute Dou Qi. Xiao Yan’s punch, enhanced by his physical strength and green flame, overwhelms Sha Tie and severely injures his arm.
• Shocked by Xiao Yan’s strength, Luo Hou—a One-Star Dou Ling—abandons the battle and flees. The other old students also attempt to escape.
• Xiao Yan uses his Lightning Flash technique to intercept the fleeing old students. With help from Xun’er and the other freshmen, he forces twenty-five old students to surrender their crystal cards.
• The freshmen obtain a total of 840 days of Fire Energy. Xiao Yan’s group returns five days each to the twenty-eight freshmen who had been robbed, then divides the remaining Fire Energy among themselves.
• Xiao Yan’s group reaches over two hundred days of Fire Energy each, while the freshmen recover their confidence and morale.
• With no further opposition, Xiao Yan leads the entire group out of the forest and toward the Inner Academy.
• The elders award most freshmen twenty days of Fire Energy. Xiao Yan’s five-person group receives Azure Fire Crystal Cards and an additional fifty days of Fire Energy.
• Xiao Yan proudly announces his arrival at the Inner Academy, signaling that his presence will disrupt the existing balance of power.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yan: Demonstrates overwhelming physical strength, combat confidence, leadership, and strategic ability. He changes from a freshman defending against old students into the undisputed leader of the entire group.
• Sha Tie: Initially arrogant and confident because of his Gold-Attribute Dou Qi, he is badly injured by Xiao Yan in one exchange and loses his authority.
• Luo Hou: Despite being stronger in cultivation as a One-Star Dou Ling, he loses his nerve after witnessing Xiao Yan defeat Sha Tie and flees, damaging his reputation.
• The freshmen: Begin fearful and demoralized after being robbed, but Xiao Yan’s leadership transforms them into an organized and confident force willing to confront the old students.
• Xun’er and the other members of Xiao Yan’s group: Support Xiao Yan by restraining members of the Black Fiend Team and helping secure victory.
• The old students: Their confidence collapses after Xiao Yan’s display of power, and many surrender rather than continue fighting.

Significant Themes

• Leadership and morale: Xiao Yan wins not only through strength but by giving the freshmen a shared purpose and restoring their confidence.
• The overturning of hierarchy: The chapter presents a direct challenge to the old students’ assumed superiority over the newcomers.
• Strength versus reputation: The old students rely on experience and status, but Xiao Yan’s actual power proves far greater than expected.
• Courage and cowardice: Xiao Yan faces the strongest opponent directly, while Luo Hou’s escape exposes the fragility of his confidence.
• Rewards and cultivation opportunity: Fire Energy and Crystal Card ranks represent power and access within the Inner Academy, making the victory important beyond the immediate battle.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Yan openly provokes and challenges Sha Tie and Luo Hou, refusing to treat them as superior because they are old students.
• Sha Tie responds with arrogance and accepts the one-on-one confrontation, but Xiao Yan defeats him almost instantly.
• Luo Hou imitates Xiao Yan’s words before the battle, yet later contradicts that confidence by fleeing.
• Xiao Yan motivates the freshmen with promises of compensation and protection, turning them into a coordinated force.
• Xun’er and the other freshmen fight alongside Xiao Yan, while the defeated old students eventually surrender and hand over their Fire Energy.
• The elders observe Xiao Yan’s victory and reward his group, while the old students react with envy and alarm to the Azure Crystal Cards.
• Xiao Yan’s final declaration—“Inner Academy, your king has arrived”—frames his entry as the beginning of a major challenge to the Inner Academy’s established order.

Chapter Summary: Establishing the Ruler Sect, the New Student King Has Arrived

Key Plot Points and Events

• After four days in the Inner Academy, Xiao Yan and the new students face growing hostility from older-student factions.
• Several factions begin collecting “tribute fees” from the newcomers. Although the initial payment is an accepted Inner Academy custom, repeated demands from multiple factions become an attempt to suppress the new students and exploit them.
• On the second day, forty-five new students select Xiao Yan as their leader and establish the Ruler Sect, using Xiao Yan’s Profound Heavy Ruler as its emblem.
• Xiao Yan forcefully drives away factions demanding tribute, temporarily securing peace for the new students.
• He entrusts the Ruler Sect’s daily affairs to Xun’er and Hu Jia, then goes with Wu Hao and Bai Shan to the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
• At the tower’s entrance, Luo Hou, captain of the White Fiend Team, is mocked for fleeing during the earlier conflict with the new students. He remains unconcerned, valuing the large amount of Fire Energy he preserved.
• Xiao Yan is also ridiculed as the “new-student king,” but he ignores the jeers.
• Members of the White Gang, a second-rate faction led by Bai Cheng, block Xiao Yan and demand that he hand over new students to their faction.
• Fu Ao, a Three-Star Dou Ling and White Gang member, initially asks for ten students, then reduces the demand to five after recognizing Bai Shan as Bai Cheng’s cousin.
• Xiao Yan refuses to surrender even one new student and publicly declares that no faction will force him to give up members of the Ruler Sect.
• Fu Ao challenges him, hoping to defeat Xiao Yan and destroy his authority. Xiao Yan accepts, deliberately using the confrontation to establish his reputation and deter further harassment.
• The battle ends almost instantly: Fu Ao prepares to attack, but Xiao Yan uses his speed to create an afterimage, appears behind him, shatters his Dou Qi armor with a scorching punch, and sends him crashing into the crowd.
• The onlookers are stunned by Xiao Yan’s overwhelming strength, realizing that the Inner Academy’s balance of power may be changing.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yan: Fully embraces his role as leader of the new students. He shifts from defending the newcomers informally to building an organized faction and directly challenging the Inner Academy’s established powers. His confidence, composure, speed, and physical strength are dramatically demonstrated in his effortless defeat of Fu Ao.
• Xun’er and Hu Jia: Gain responsibility as administrators of the Ruler Sect, showing that Xiao Yan trusts them to manage the faction while he handles external threats.
• Wu Hao: Continues to support Xiao Yan and shows complete confidence in his ability to defeat Fu Ao.
• Bai Shan: Is placed in an awkward position because his cousin leads the White Gang. He tries to mediate and asks Xiao Yan to go easy on Fu Ao, but cannot prevent the confrontation.
• Fu Ao: Represents the older factions’ arrogance and belief that the new students must submit to established powers. His confidence collapses when Xiao Yan defeats him before he can even attack.
• Luo Hou: Is portrayed as pragmatic rather than cowardly. Despite being mocked for retreating, he is satisfied that he preserved 250 days of Fire Energy.
• Han Yue: Watches Xiao Yan’s victory with visible surprise, suggesting that his performance has attracted the attention of influential students.

Significant Themes

• Resistance against exploitation: The new students refuse to accept repeated tribute demands designed to weaken and control them.
• Unity and organization: The creation of the Ruler Sect transforms the newcomers from isolated individuals into a collective force.
• Power and authority: Xiao Yan understands that leadership depends not only on declarations but also on demonstrating overwhelming strength.
• Reputation versus reality: Older students mock Xiao Yan and doubt his abilities, but his swift victory proves that the rumors of his strength are justified.
• Pragmatism versus pride: Luo Hou values survival and resources over honor, while Xiao Yan deliberately risks confrontation to establish authority.
• Changing power structure: Xiao Yan’s arrival threatens the existing faction system and signals that the new students may become a major force in the Inner Academy.

Important Character Interactions

• The new students collectively choose Xiao Yan as their leader, forming the Ruler Sect.
• Xiao Yan delegates faction management to Xun’er and Hu Jia.
• Bai Shan attempts to use his family connection with Bai Cheng to reduce the White Gang’s demand, but Xiao Yan rejects any compromise.
• Fu Ao confronts Xiao Yan on behalf of the White Gang, turning a political dispute over new students into a public duel.
• Wu Hao supports Xiao Yan from the sidelines, while Bai Shan remains caught between his loyalty to Xiao Yan and his relationship with the White Gang.
• The wider student body witnesses Xiao Yan’s victory, dramatically increasing his reputation and confirming him as a serious challenger to the Inner Academy’s older factions.

Key plot points

• After defeating Fu Ao, a three-star Dou Ling, with one punch, Xiao Yan leaves the Inner Academy factions reconsidering how to treat his new Ruler Sect. The display is intended to deter challenges and establish his strength.
• Xiao Yan approaches the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower with Wu Hao and Bai Shan. He plans to cultivate there while waiting for the Falling Heart Flame to become unstable, rather than risk provoking Jia Nan Academy by trying to seize it outright.
• Entering the tower exposes the newcomers to the Heart Fire. Xiao Yan recognizes it as evidence that the Falling Heart Flame is sealed beneath the tower, and he and Medicine Elder discuss the seals and the risks of forcing their way inside.
• Xiao Yan uses Dou Qi to pass through and consume the Heart Fire, tempering and condensing his Dou Qi. He breaks free in just two and a half minutes. Wu Hao follows after twelve minutes, and Bai Shan after fifteen.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Yan demonstrates both formidable combat strength and careful judgment: he makes a show of power but remains cautious about antagonizing the Academy. His exceptional resistance to Heart Fire further distinguishes him from other newcomers.
• Medicine Elder confirms the presence of the Falling Heart Flame and notices the tower’s spatial seals. Xiao Yan already understands much of the situation, leaving Medicine Elder privately feeling underused.
• Wu Hao and Bai Shan endure the Heart Fire and eventually overcome it using Xiao Yan’s instructions, though less quickly than he does.
• Han Yue offers the newcomers a warning about the Heart Fire, but they have already entered. Her earlier record—seventeen minutes to recover—serves as a comparison for Xiao Yan’s remarkable speed.
• Elder Liu initially lets the newcomers suffer, partly to teach them a lesson and partly to see how well Xiao Yan withstands the Heart Fire. The senior students gather to watch, hoping the newcomers will be humiliated; Xiao Yan’s quick recovery frustrates their expectations.
• Luo Hou boasts that his earlier retreat was wise, drawing amused reactions from the crowd.

Significant themes

• Power and reputation: Xiao Yan’s victory reshapes how other factions view him and the Ruler Sect.
• Patience and restraint: Though capable of taking risks, Xiao Yan waits for a better opportunity rather than provoke Jia Nan Academy.
• Cultivation through hardship: The Heart Fire is dangerous but can refine Dou Qi, turning an ordeal into a source of advancement.
• Exceptional talent: Xiao Yan’s speed and composure mark him as far beyond ordinary newcomers.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Yan, Wu Hao, and Bai Shan train in the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. Its Heart Fire tempers Dou Qi, making it denser and more powerful, but prolonged exposure can cause dangerous fire poison.
• Xiao Yan’s Myriad Flame Emperor Physique protects him from fire poison, while his existing fire resistance lets him skip the usual gradual conditioning.
• After a day on the first floor, Xiao Yan reveals he is a Seven-Star Dou Ling and uses his Azure Fire Crystal Card to descend to the sixth floor, where he trains for six days in a high-grade room.
• The intensive training strengthens and stabilizes the rapid cultivation he gained through poison. Xiao Yan reflects that building a firm foundation is essential to eventually reaching Battle Emperor and opposing Hun Tiandi.
• When his card’s six-day allowance ends, Xiao Yan leaves without drawing attention. Back at the Ruler Sect, he discovers that a Spatial Anchor at the Xiao Household has been triggered. He tells Xun’er to keep others out of his room, sets another anchor, and travels to Wutan City.

Character developments

• Xiao Yan shows discipline and caution: he pursues stronger training, understands the risks, and prioritizes a solid foundation over rapid advancement. His unusual physique allows him to train longer and more safely than other students.
• Wu Hao and Bai Shan participate eagerly in the initial training, but Xiao Yan sends them back after the first day while he continues alone.
• Xun’er is briefly entrusted with securing Xiao Yan’s room while he investigates the alarm from his family home.

Themes

• Strength through disciplined cultivation: Power gained quickly must be consolidated, or future progress will stall.
• Risk and limits of ambition: Heart Fire can improve Dou Qi but also poison the body and mind; the tower’s rules and safeguards constrain training.
• Long-term purpose: Xiao Yan’s immediate training serves his larger goal of becoming strong enough to face Hun Tiandi.

Character interactions

• Xiao Yan trains alongside Wu Hao and Bai Shan, then parts from them when he chooses to continue.
• He negotiates access with tower instructors by presenting his card and demonstrating his cultivation level; the instructors enforce the tower’s floor-by-floor restrictions.
• He asks Xun’er to protect his privacy before using spatial travel to respond to the Xiao Household’s emergency signal.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Yan returns to the Xiao Household after Xiao Qing breaks the stone linked to his Spatial Anchor. She warns him that intruders have come. He sends her to his Portable Space for safety, where the sight of Medicine Elder frightens her unconscious.
• Xiao Yan reaches the household and finds two black-robed men—apparently powerful Misty Cloud Sect members—wrecking rooms while a third questions Xiao Zhan. Medicine Elder warns that an even stronger presence is nearby.
• Xiao Yan notices black mist searching the ruined rooms, suspecting the Soul Hall is involved.
• The seated intruder produces Nalan Yanran’s jade pendant, falsely presenting it as evidence against the Xiao Household. Xiao Zhan rejects the accusation, but the men move to seize him.
• Xiao Yan intervenes, easily defeats the three attackers, and reveals his full power. He recognizes the search as a likely attempt to find the Tou She Ancient God Jade and abduct his father.
• When a chain shoots from the darkness, Xiao Yan catches it and tries to pull its wielder into his Portable Space. The chain vanishes, but the wielder escapes by releasing it; Xiao Yan pursues a fleeing mass of black mist.

Character developments

• Xiao Yan shifts from cautious observer to decisive protector, openly unleashing his strength to defend his father and household. His suspicions about the Soul Hall deepen.
• Xiao Qing is frightened but acts urgently to warn Xiao Yan, showing courage and concern for her family.
• Xiao Zhan remains defiant under pressure, though he is outmatched. His relief and pride at Xiao Yan’s arrival reveal his trust in his son.
• Medicine Elder provides crucial warning and assistance, though his ghostly appearance inadvertently terrifies Xiao Qing.

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and protection: Xiao Yan risks exposing his power to save Xiao Zhan and the household.
• Deception and scapegoating: The jade pendant is planted or otherwise manipulated to justify an attack.
• Hidden enemies and conspiracy: The apparent Misty Cloud Sect raid seems connected to the Soul Hall and a search for the Ancient God Jade.
• Power and restraint: Xiao Yan initially hides and observes, but abandons restraint when his family is threatened.

Character interactions

• Xiao Yan comforts Xiao Qing, then entrusts her safety to Medicine Elder.
• Xiao Zhan confronts the black-robed men and refuses to accept their flimsy evidence.
• Xiao Yan steps between his father and the attackers, overwhelms the three men, and then attempts to capture the unseen force behind the chain.

Key plot points and events

• After the Misty Cloud Sect’s attack, Xiao Yan stores the three black-robed attackers rather than pursuing them. Xiao Zhan organizes care for the injured and a temporary arrangement for the displaced household.
• At a council meeting, the elders discuss retaliation. Xiao Yan warns them that the greater danger is the powerful force behind the Misty Cloud Sect: the Soul Hall.
• Xiao Zhan reveals that the Xiao Household was once a Dou God Clan and that its inherited clan-leader token is a coveted treasure. The clan unanimously agrees to protect it and names Xiao Yan Young Clan Leader.
• Xiao Yan says the token contains a Spatial Realm and proposes moving the household there for safety. He shows the realm to Xiao Zhan, who confirms it is habitable and rich in natural energy.
• Over the next half-month, Xiao Yan relocates more than six hundred clan members and over three hundred servants, along with the household’s belongings. The Xiao estate is left so thoroughly empty that even its tiles and some structural timbers are removed.
• Inside the realm, Xiao Yan gives half the territory to the Xiao Household to rebuild. He also grants access to Medicine Elder and Xiao Zhan.
• The attackers are identified as Misty Cloud Sect elders Yun Leng, Yun Xun, and Yun Lei. At Nalan Yanran’s request, Xiao Yan does not kill them, but imprisons them behind a barrier only he can open.

Character developments

• Xiao Yan shifts from reluctant concern for his clan to a growing willingness to protect it, encouraged by its unity and his attachment to his father. He also takes on a formal leadership role and acts decisively to secure the household’s survival.
• Xiao Zhan supports Xiao Yan’s decisions and confirms the clan’s hidden heritage, helping rally the elders.
• The elders and clan members move from fear and uncertainty to pride in their lineage and collective resolve to safeguard the clan.
• Nalan Yanran shows loyalty to her sect by pleading for the attackers’ lives. Xiao Yan recognizes the conflict between her sect ties and his own goals.

Significant themes

• Family loyalty and shared identity: The clan’s blood ties and common heritage unite its members in a moment of danger.
• Protection over revenge: Xiao Yan chooses evacuation and containment over a direct fight that could expose the clan to greater threats.
• Hidden legacy and responsibility: The clan’s ancient status and inherited token transform Xiao Yan’s position and give the household hope for renewal.
• Conflicting loyalties: Nalan Yanran’s plea highlights the personal strain created when affection or duty crosses factional lines.

Character interactions

• The elders defer to Xiao Yan’s judgment and unanimously accept him as Young Clan Leader.
• Xiao Yan and Xiao Zhan share a private visit to the Spatial Realm, after which Xiao Zhan reassures the clan about its safety.
• Nalan Yanran appeals to Xiao Yan to spare the Misty Cloud Sect elders; he honors the request by keeping them alive, while refusing to release them.
• Xiao Yan’s thoughts about Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran shape his reluctance to provoke the Misty Cloud Sect, though he remains wary of the Soul Hall behind it.

Key plot points and events

• After resolving the Xiao Household’s problems in Wutan City, Xiao Yan returns to Jia Nan Academy. Xun’er welcomes him and explains that she has been funding the Ruler Sect’s Fire Energy rewards.
• To replenish the sect’s resources, Xiao Yan refines and sells three useful pills. The first batches sell out quickly and earn substantial profits, allowing the Ruler Sect to operate comfortably.
• Xiao Yan leaves most further pill-making to Medicine Elder and trains in the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. After three days, he advances from Seven-Star to Eight-Star Dou Ling.
• Planning to visit Xiao Yi Xian to purge her accumulated poison and use poison to accelerate his own cultivation, Xiao Yan is interrupted by news that the Medicine Gang has sabotaged the Ruler Sect’s pill business.
• The Medicine Gang has driven up ingredient prices and attacked the sect’s stalls, injuring members. Xiao Yan leads the Ruler Sect to confront them and challenges its leader, Han Xian, to an alchemy contest.
• The Inner Academy sets the test: refining a Fifth-grade Dragon Strength Pill. Han Xian produces only a half-finished pill, while Xiao Yan succeeds after using two sets of ingredients. Han Xian concedes, and the Medicine Gang yields five prime retail shops and stops obstructing the Ruler Sect.
• Xiao Yan’s reputation rises, and First Elder Su Qian takes notice of his Heavenly Flames and later helps his tower training. As Xiao Yan prepares to seek Xiao Yi Xian, Han Yue invites him to the back mountain to obtain Earth-Core Body-Tempering Fluid.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Yan shows growing confidence in both alchemy and combat. He reassures Xun’er, builds the Ruler Sect’s finances, reaches Eight-Star Dou Ling, and decisively outmaneuvers the Medicine Gang.
• Xun’er is devoted to Xiao Yan and has been personally sustaining the sect while he was away. Their affectionate reunion deepens their closeness; his promise that no one can separate them leaves her wondering whether he has confessed his feelings.
• Han Xian begins confident that his alchemy surpasses Xiao Yan’s, but underestimates Xiao Yan’s skill and loses the contest.
• Medicine Elder takes over the heavy pill-refining workload, freeing Xiao Yan to train.
• A Tai alerts Xiao Yan to the Medicine Gang’s attacks, prompting the confrontation.
• Su Qian becomes interested in Xiao Yan’s alchemy, while Han Yue introduces the next opportunity—and complication—just as Xiao Yan is about to leave.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and trust: Xun’er supports Xiao Yan and the Ruler Sect without demanding explanations, while Xiao Yan promises to face difficulties with her.
• Competition and fair judgment: The contest gives both factions a formal way to resolve their dispute, with the Inner Academy setting the formula and Elder Hao overseeing the result.
• Skill versus arrogance: Han Xian’s confidence collapses against Xiao Yan’s superior ability.
• Growth through discipline and opportunity: Xiao Yan’s tower training strengthens him, while his plans involving poison and special resources show his ambition to advance faster.

Han Yue, Xiao Yan, Lin Xiuya, and Yan Hao fought the Snow Demon Heavenly Ape for the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk, but the beast awakened its berserk power and overpowered them. As its claw descended on Han Yue, a black streak rushed toward her.

• Han Yue brought Xiao Yan, Lin Xiuya, and Yan Hao to confront the Snow Demon Heavenly Ape guarding the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk.
• Yan Hao charged the beast and was knocked away, while Han Yue and Lin Xiuya coordinated attacks that failed to break its ice armor.
• After more than a dozen exchanges, the Snow Demon Heavenly Ape awakened its berserk bloodline and its aura surged.
• The beast used Lin Xiuya's energy link to blast him into the forest, then swatted Yan Hao away.
• The Snow Demon Heavenly Ape lunged at Han Yue and brought its claw down as Lin Xiuya and Yan Hao shouted a warning; a black streak flashed toward her.

Xiao Yan rescued Han Yue from the Snow Demon Heavenly Ape, drove the beast away, and led the others to the earth core body tempering milk. After finding the real treasure hidden in a stalactite, he divided it equally among Lin Xiuya, Yan Hao, and Han Yue, as well as keeping a portion for himself.

• Xiao Yan rescued Han Yue and fought the Snow Demon Heavenly Ape until it weakened and fled.
• Xiao Yan led Han Yue, Lin Xiuya, and Yan Hao into the cave to search for the earth core body tempering milk.
• Xiao Yan found the fake milk in a stone hollow and revealed the real milk hidden inside a stalactite.
• Xiao Yan collected some of the real earth core body tempering milk while leaving the stalactite's roots intact.
• Xiao Yan divided the collected milk equally among himself and the three companions, earning their gratitude.