Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yang spends nearly a week refining Dou Ling Pills for the Dou Wang elders of the Outer Academy. His success rate is exceptionally high, with only two failures, and nearly all successful pills are at least mid-grade.
• He prepares to refine an Emperor’s Extreme Pill and a Sect-Breaking Pill. The Emperor’s Extreme Pill is especially important because it can increase cultivation by one to two stars, potentially granting Xiao Yang hundreds of millions of cultivation experience after he reaches the Dou Emperor level.
• Xiao Yang plans to refine high-quality pills for the academy’s Dou Emperor elders in the future, using their medicinal ingredients and payments to support his own cultivation. He also hopes to keep any exceptionally high-grade pills for himself or his close companions.
• Before beginning the next refinement, Xiao Yang senses that Xiao Yi Xian has ended her seclusion and broken through to the Da Dou Shi realm. He immediately stops preparing pills to see her.
• Xiao Yi Xian is cooking when Xiao Yang arrives. The two prepare a meal together using Fifth-Order Magical Beast meat. Their interaction becomes increasingly intimate as Xiao Yang embraces her from behind while she cooks.
• After eating, they sit together quietly. Xiao Yang tells Xiao Yi Xian that, now that she has reached the Da Dou Shi level, he will recommend her for entry into the Inner Academy under his authority as an Inner Academy elder.
• Xiao Yi Xian happily agrees, eager to live with Xiao Yang and reduce the distance between them.
• Unsure about the exact recommendation assessment, Xiao Yang suggests that they visit Headmaster Hu Gan to ask about it. He also plans to deliver the pills he refined for the Outer Academy elders.
• The chapter ends as Xiao Yang and Xiao Yi Xian arrive at Hu Gan’s office. Xiao Yang presents a jade bottle, preparing to discuss the pills and Xiao Yi Xian’s entrance into the Inner Academy.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yang demonstrates increasing mastery as an alchemist, refining large quantities of high-quality pills while balancing personal cultivation goals with his obligations to the academy.
• His strategic and opportunistic nature is emphasized: he intends to use pill refinement to gain experience, resources, medicinal ingredients, and potentially retain the best pills for himself or his companions.
• Xiao Yang’s relationship with Xiao Yi Xian becomes noticeably more intimate and comfortable. He openly shows affection and takes responsibility for arranging her future in the Inner Academy.
• Xiao Yi Xian successfully advances to the Da Dou Shi realm after her seclusion. She becomes more confident and natural around Xiao Yang, accepting his affection and eagerly agreeing to move into the Inner Academy with him.
• Hu Gan continues to view Xiao Yang favorably, immediately becoming welcoming and enthusiastic upon seeing him.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation and preparation: Xiao Yang emphasizes preparing resources in advance so that future breakthroughs can be maximized.
• Alchemy as power and influence: Pill refinement is not only a method of cultivation but also a means for Xiao Yang to build relationships, acquire resources, and increase his authority within the academy.
• Affection and companionship: The quiet domestic scene between Xiao Yang and Xiao Yi Xian highlights their growing emotional closeness.
• Advancement and opportunity: Xiao Yi Xian’s breakthrough opens the way for her to enter the Inner Academy and remain closer to Xiao Yang.
• Mutual benefit: Xiao Yang’s service to the academy elders benefits both sides, strengthening his position while providing valuable pills to others.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Yang and Xiao Yi Xian share a warm, intimate cooking scene, working together with increasing familiarity and physical affection.
• Their silent companionship after the meal shows that they are comfortable communicating without many words.
• Xiao Yang reassures Xiao Yi Xian about her future and offers to use his status to help her enter the Inner Academy.
• Their hand-in-hand walk through the academy publicly signals their closeness and attracts attention from other students.
• Xiao Yang’s forthcoming interaction with Hu Gan is expected to combine two matters: delivering the refined pills and arranging Xiao Yi Xian’s Inner Academy assessment.

Chapter Summary: “Return to the Inner Academy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yang gives Hu Gan a jade bottle containing all the Dou Ling Pills requested by the academy’s Dou Wang elders. He completed the enormous order in just over a week.
• Hu Gan is stunned by Xiao Yang’s pill-refining speed and the value of the pills, which are worth tens of millions of gold coins.
• Xiao Yang asks Hu Gan to help Xiao Yi Xian enter the Inner Academy as an elder.
• Hu Gan discovers that Xiao Yi Xian has advanced from a Six-Star Dou Practitioner to the Da Dou Shi realm in only a few months. He is shocked by her rapid progress, though he considers Xiao Yang’s advancement from Da Dou Shi to Dou Wang even more extraordinary.
• Because Xiao Yi Xian is already a Da Dou Shi and has Xiao Yang’s recommendation, Hu Gan waives her assessment and issues her an official certificate.
• Before Xiao Yang leaves, Hu Gan asks about the Sect-Breaking Pill he requested. Xiao Yang explains that he will first attempt to refine the Emperor’s Extreme Pill, then work on Hu Gan’s pill. He estimates it will take only a few more days.
• Hu Gan decides to accompany Xiao Yang to the Inner Academy so he can wait for the pill and help complete Xiao Yi Xian’s registration.
• Xiao Yang and Xiao Yi Xian return to the Inner Academy after packing her belongings and sending Xiao Yu a message. Xiao Yi Xian enters successfully using her certificate and moves into Xiao Yang’s loft.
• Upon their arrival, Zi Yan appears, demanding that Xiao Yang refine more medicinal ingredients for her. She then notices Xiao Yi Xian and becomes curious about the newcomer.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yang: Demonstrates extraordinary alchemy ability, refining numerous Fifth-Grade Dou Ling Pills at an unprecedented speed. He remains calm and matter-of-fact despite Hu Gan’s disbelief. He also takes responsibility for Xiao Yi Xian’s advancement and integration into the Inner Academy.
• Xiao Yi Xian: Her rapid cultivation progress is revealed, having reached the Da Dou Shi realm after starting as a Six-Star Dou Practitioner only months earlier. She officially becomes an Inner Academy elder.
• Hu Gan: His respect and astonishment toward Xiao Yang and Xiao Yi Xian deepen. He recognizes that their cultivation and alchemy talents may soon surpass his own. His eagerness to obtain the Sect-Breaking Pill leads him to accompany them to the Inner Academy.
• Zi Yan: Remains energetic and demanding, immediately asking Xiao Yang to refine newly acquired medicinal ingredients. Her surprise at seeing Xiao Yi Xian sets up a likely interaction between the two women.

Significant Themes

• Extraordinary talent and rapid advancement: Both Xiao Yang’s alchemy and the pair’s cultivation progress far exceed normal standards.
• Power and status earned through ability: Xiao Yi Xian gains entry to the Inner Academy without testing because her strength and Xiao Yang’s recommendation are sufficient.
• Trust and cooperation: Hu Gan relies on Xiao Yang’s abilities, while Xiao Yang helps Xiao Yi Xian secure a place in the Inner Academy.
• Humor through exaggerated reactions: Hu Gan repeatedly reacts with disbelief, comparing Xiao Yang and Xiao Yi Xian to monsters and questioning his own years of cultivation.
• The value of alchemy: The pills serve as both a source of wealth and a means for Xiao Yang to build influence among the academy’s elders.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Yang and Hu Gan discuss the completed Dou Ling Pills, Xiao Yi Xian’s admission, and the future Sect-Breaking Pill.
• Hu Gan admires and worries over the valuable pills, carefully inspecting them after Xiao Yang casually tosses over the bottle.
• Xiao Yang and Xiao Yi Xian return together to the Inner Academy, with Xiao Yang personally arranging her admission and lodging.
• Zi Yan greets Xiao Yang familiarly and immediately asks him for more alchemical assistance, then turns her attention to Xiao Yi Xian upon noticing her presence.

Chapter Summary: Zi Yan and Xiao Yi Xian’s First Meeting

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yang brings Xiao Yi Xian, who has just joined the Inner Academy, home and introduces her to Zi Yan.
• Zi Yan realizes that Xiao Yi Xian is the woman Xiao Yang often visited in the Outer Academy to see.
• Xiao Yi Xian feels pity for Zi Yan after learning about her difficult background, though Zi Yan notices her sympathetic expression.
• Zi Yan confidently promises to protect Xiao Yi Xian in the Inner Academy and offers to deal with anyone who troubles her.
• Xiao Yi Xian affectionately hugs Zi Yan, startling and embarrassing her. Zi Yan initially resists but restrains herself so she will not hurt Xiao Yi Xian.
• After Xiao Yi Xian releases her, Zi Yan pretends to be annoyed, though she secretly seems disappointed that the embrace ended.
• Zi Yan returns upstairs after giving Xiao Yang the medicinal herbs she collected, reminding him to refine them for her.
• Xiao Yi Xian chooses a room beside Xiao Yang’s and then helps him prepare a meal using Fifth-Order Magical Beast meat.
• Remembering Zi Yan’s nature as a Magical Beast and her love of meat, Xiao Yi Xian deliberately prepares extra food for her.
• Xiao Yi Xian invites Zi Yan downstairs to eat. Zi Yan pretends she is only helping prevent waste, but eagerly accepts.
• Zi Yan is amazed by Xiao Yi Xian’s cooking, which is more varied and flavorful than the simple grilled meat she and Xiao Yang usually prepare.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yi Xian displays warmth, compassion, and a nurturing personality. She quickly becomes fond of Zi Yan and treats her like a younger child despite knowing Zi Yan is actually much older.
• Zi Yan reveals a softer, more vulnerable side. Though usually proud, strong, and intimidating, she becomes shy and flustered when shown affection. Her willingness to accept Xiao Yi Xian’s hand and invitation suggests she desires companionship and familial warmth.
• Xiao Yang acts as the connection between the two women, introducing them and helping create a comfortable household atmosphere. He is also amused by Zi Yan’s unusually bashful behavior.
• Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan begin developing a sisterly relationship, with Xiao Yi Xian taking on an affectionate, caring role and Zi Yan reluctantly enjoying the attention.

Significant Themes

• Found family and emotional healing: Xiao Yi Xian’s kindness gives Zi Yan affection and acceptance she has rarely experienced.
• Appearances versus reality: Zi Yan looks like a young girl but is actually an ancient Magical Beast, while her powerful nature contrasts with her adorable and shy behavior.
• Trust and intimacy: Zi Yan slowly allows Xiao Yi Xian to touch, guide, and care for her despite initially resisting closeness.
• Domestic bonding: Cooking and sharing food become important ways for the characters to build familiarity and affection.
• Hidden vulnerability: Zi Yan’s pride conceals her loneliness and desire for warmth, which Xiao Yi Xian instinctively recognizes.

Important Character Interactions

• Xiao Yang introduces Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan, establishing their connection through him.
• Zi Yan offers Xiao Yi Xian protection, while Xiao Yi Xian responds with an affectionate hug rather than intimidation or caution.
• Zi Yan’s embarrassment and restrained resistance reveal that she is unused to physical affection.
• Xiao Yi Xian takes Zi Yan by the hand and brings her to the meal, and Zi Yan allows it despite pretending reluctance.
• Through Xiao Yi Xian’s cooking, Zi Yan experiences new forms of comfort and enjoyment, marking the beginning of their close relationship.

Chapter Summary: “Three Shocks in a Row”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yi Xian prepares a meal that Zi Yan enthusiastically devours. Pleased by Zi Yan’s reaction, Xiao Yi Xian promises to cook extra portions for her in the future.
• Xiao Yang asks Zi Yan about poisonous medicinal herbs. Zi Yan explains that she often finds them while searching for ingredients but usually leaves them behind because they are unpalatable and unwanted.
• Xiao Yang suggests that Zi Yan collect poisonous herbs for Xiao Yi Xian, who cultivates poison-attributed Dou Qi. Zi Yan readily agrees, accepting the arrangement as payment for Xiao Yi Xian’s meal.
• After eating, Xiao Yang and Zi Yan explain the Inner Academy to Xiao Yi Xian. They discuss the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, which Xiao Yi Xian is eager to experience.
• Xiao Yang reveals that, despite spending months in the Inner Academy, he has never entered the tower because he considers hunting magical beasts and refining pills more efficient for his cultivation.
• Zi Yan realizes that Xiao Yang’s cultivation has advanced dramatically. He reveals that he is now a Nine-Star Dou Wang, having progressed from the Dou Ling level in only a few days.
• Zi Yan examines him in disbelief, confirming that his foundation and vitality are exceptionally strong. She briefly suspects that he may be a magical beast whose bloodline evolved.
• Xiao Yang then reveals that he has reached the Sixth Rank as an alchemist and is preparing to refine the Emperor’s Extreme Pill and Sect-Breaking Pill. He predicts that reaching the Seventh Rank may take only one or two years, or possibly less.
• Xiao Yang entrusts Xiao Yi Xian with his Crystal Card and Fire Energy for use in the Inner Academy. He asks Zi Yan to help her become familiar with the academy and leaves to begin refining pills.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yi Xian becomes more integrated into the group and receives practical support for adapting to the Inner Academy. Her poison cultivation is openly acknowledged, though Xiao Yang tactfully avoids directly mentioning her Calamity Poison Body.
• Zi Yan develops a warmer bond with Xiao Yi Xian through food and agrees to help gather poisonous herbs for her. She also becomes increasingly impressed—and confused—by Xiao Yang’s rapid progress.
• Xiao Yang demonstrates his generosity by sharing Fire Energy and offering protection to Xiao Yi Xian. His extraordinary cultivation and alchemy advancements are revealed, emphasizing his rapidly increasing strength and confidence.
• Zi Yan’s perception of Xiao Yang changes as she realizes he is no longer merely a weaker newcomer but may already surpass her in strength.

Significant Themes

• Rapid growth and exceptional talent: Xiao Yang’s leap to Nine-Star Dou Wang and Sixth-Rank alchemist shocks Zi Yan and establishes the unusual speed of his advancement.
• Friendship and mutual support: Xiao Yi Xian’s cooking, Zi Yan’s promise to gather herbs, and Xiao Yang’s offer of Fire Energy show the group forming a cooperative and affectionate bond.
• Practical cultivation choices: Xiao Yang values pill refinement and hunting over the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, showing his confidence in his own methods.
• Trust and protection: Xiao Yang places Xiao Yi Xian under Zi Yan’s guidance and assures her that she can rely on Zi Yan if problems arise.
• Humor amid astonishment: Zi Yan’s exaggerated reactions, including suspecting Xiao Yang of being a magical beast, provide comic relief while highlighting how unbelievable his progress is.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan grow closer through the shared meal, with Zi Yan praising her cooking and Xiao Yi Xian promising to cook for her again.
• Xiao Yang acts as a mediator between them by arranging for Zi Yan to supply Xiao Yi Xian with poisonous herbs.
• Zi Yan serves as Xiao Yi Xian’s guide to the Inner Academy and the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
• Zi Yan repeatedly reacts with shock to Xiao Yang’s revelations, first about his Nine-Star Dou Wang cultivation and then about his Sixth-Rank alchemy abilities.
• Xiao Yang lightly teases Zi Yan when she speculates that he is a magical beast, preserving their familiar and playful relationship.

Chapter Summary: Emperor’s Extreme Pill!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yi Xian has settled into the Inner Academy after Zi Yan showed her around. Hu Gan completed her identity procedures and gave her an Azure Fire Crystal Card containing 300 units of Heavenly Fire Energy.
• Hu Gan moves into a pavilion near Xiao Yang’s, secretly observing him.
• As Xiao Yang begins refining a pill, the energy of heaven and earth gathers around his pavilion. A beam of light shoots into the sky, dispersing the clouds and creating extraordinary phenomena.
• The pill’s fragrance revitalizes anyone nearby and stimulates their Dou Qi, alerting Hu Gan and attracting several Inner Academy elders.
• Inside the alchemy room, Xiao Yang successfully refines a middle-grade Emperor’s Extreme Pill on his second attempt. The system rewards him with 2,000,000 Universal Experience and 600,000 Shop Points.
• The Emperor’s Extreme Pill can provide Xiao Yang with 130 million cultivation experience.
• Xiao Yang reflects on his rapidly increasing alchemy experience. Thanks to an Experience Doubling Card and his improved cultivation, he may be able to advance from Sixth-Rank to Seventh-Rank alchemist within a few months.
• Without resting for long, he begins refining a Sect-Breaking Pill.
• Outside, Fire Elder, Hu Gan, Su Qian, and other elders wait for Xiao Yang to emerge, curious about the source of the phenomenon.
• Fire Elder realizes that Hu Gan already knew Xiao Yang had broken through to Sixth-Rank alchemist. The elders accuse Hu Gan of hiding the information from them.
• Hu Gan explains that he only discovered Xiao Yang’s advancement half a month earlier, when Xiao Yang could refine only Dou Ling Pills, so he saw no reason to inform the Inner Academy immediately.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yang: Demonstrates major growth as an alchemist by successfully refining a Peak Sixth-Rank Emperor’s Extreme Pill after an earlier failure. His alchemy speed, efficiency, and experience accumulation have improved significantly, giving him confidence that he can soon reach Seventh Rank.
• Xiao Yi Xian: Becomes more integrated into the Inner Academy and is preparing to visit the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
• Hu Gan: Reveals that he has been quietly monitoring and supporting Xiao Yang. His secret knowledge of Xiao Yang’s advancement makes him the target of the other elders’ frustration.
• Fire Elder and the other elders: Become excited and envious after realizing Xiao Yang has advanced further than they knew. Their curiosity about his abilities increases.
• Su Qian: Appears among the senior elders investigating Xiao Yang’s breakthrough, emphasizing its importance to the Inner Academy.

Significant Themes

• Rapid advancement and talent: Xiao Yang’s progress as an alchemist is unusually fast, highlighting his exceptional abilities and advantages from the system.
• Secrecy versus shared achievement: Hu Gan’s decision to keep Xiao Yang’s advancement private causes tension among the elders, who feel excluded from important news.
• Power attracting attention: The Emperor’s Extreme Pill creates such powerful phenomena that Xiao Yang can no longer practice unnoticed, even within the protected Inner Academy.
• Persistence and improvement: Xiao Yang succeeds after failing once, showing that his growing mastery comes through repeated effort and careful refinement.
• Ambition and future potential: His goal of reaching Seventh-Rank alchemist status within months establishes a new benchmark for his continued development.

Character Interactions

• Zi Yan and Xiao Yi Xian grow closer after spending time together in the Inner Academy.
• Hu Gan watches over Xiao Yang from a nearby pavilion and rushes to investigate the pill-refining phenomena.
• The elders gather outside Xiao Yang’s pavilion, with Hu Gan urging Fire Elder to check on him.
• Fire Elder confronts Hu Gan for concealing Xiao Yang’s advancement, while the other elders join in criticizing him.
• Hu Gan defends himself by explaining that Xiao Yang’s breakthrough had been recent and initially limited to refining Dou Ling Pills.

Chapter Summary: “Old Urchin”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hu Gan reveals the truth about events in the Outer Academy, including the terrifying identity of Gu Yue and the strength of the mysterious old man accompanying her.
• The elders are shocked to learn how rapidly Xiao Yang has advanced: he has risen from Nine-Star Da Dou Shi to Nine-Star Dou Wang and become a Sixth-Rank alchemist capable of refining an Emperor’s Extreme Pill.
• Although the elders initially pretend to leave Xiao Yang alone, they secretly return one after another to wait outside his pavilion and see him as soon as he emerges.
• When Zi Yan comes outside, the elders use medicinal herbs and other gifts to persuade her to let them enter the pavilion.
• The elders wait inside while Xiao Yang continues refining pills. Fire Elder’s comment that refining a Peak Fifth-Rank Pill normally requires one or two weeks makes them realize how extraordinary Xiao Yang’s soul power and endurance must be.
• Xiao Yi Xian arrives, and Hu Gan introduces her to the elders. Impressed by her talent and her connection to Xiao Yang, they give her valuable gifts, including a high-grade Battle Technique, medicinal herbs, and a Magic Core accessory.
• After Xiao Yi Xian leaves to cultivate in the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, the elders continue waiting and enjoying the food she prepared.
• At the end of the chapter, the natural energy surrounding the pavilion surges toward the pill-refining room again, signaling that Xiao Yang has begun or reached another important stage of pill refinement.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yang: His reputation grows dramatically. His rapid cultivation progress, high alchemical rank, and ability to refine powerful pills establish him as an exceptional, possibly monstrous talent.
• Hu Gan and the elders: Their curiosity and awe toward Xiao Yang overcome their dignity. They behave like eager onlookers, secretly returning and bribing Zi Yan with gifts to gain access to the pavilion.
• Zi Yan: She displays her usual mischievous and shamelessly practical nature, accepting gifts from every elder and using them to control access to Xiao Yang.
• Xiao Yi Xian: She is presented as a highly talented newcomer worthy of respect. Her polite hospitality earns the elders’ goodwill, and they acknowledge her as someone personally recommended by Xiao Yang.
• Su Qian: Though the Great Elder, he is just as curious as the others and immediately joins their attempt to enter the pavilion, even using a medicinal herb to win Zi Yan over.

Significant Themes

• Power and reputation: Xiao Yang’s achievements have made him the focus of the Inner Academy’s elders and elevated his standing considerably.
• Extraordinary talent: The chapter emphasizes the rarity of Xiao Yang’s cultivation speed, soul power, and alchemical ability.
• Curiosity and admiration: Even powerful elders are reduced to waiting impatiently and scheming for a glimpse of Xiao Yang, showing the extent of his influence.
• Relationships and social bonds: Xiao Yang’s companions benefit from his reputation, while the elders seek favor with Zi Yan and Xiao Yi Xian through gifts and friendly treatment.
• Humorous contrast: The elders’ dignified identities clash with their childish eagerness, creating much of the chapter’s comedy.

Character Interactions

• The elders discuss Gu Yue’s frightening background and Xiao Yang’s accomplishments with a mixture of shock and admiration.
• Su Qian, Fire Elder, Hu Gan, and the other elders awkwardly make excuses for returning to the pavilion, revealing that they all want to observe Xiao Yang.
• Zi Yan teases and controls the elders by accepting their medicinal gifts before allowing them inside.
• Hu Gan introduces Xiao Yi Xian to the elders, prompting them to welcome her with generous presents.
• Xiao Yi Xian responds courteously by serving tea, pastries, and spirit fruits, strengthening her positive impression on the elders.
• The elders’ conversation about alchemical recovery highlights their growing astonishment at Xiao Yang’s abilities.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yang emerges from the alchemy room after successfully refining a Sect-Breaking Pill for Hu Gan.
• Hu Gan receives the pill with overwhelming emotion, having been trapped at the Peak Dou Emperor level for many years and believing advancement was nearly impossible.
• Xiao Yang confirms that the elixir is indeed a Sect-Breaking Pill, exciting the Inner Academy elders—especially Fire Elder, who is also at Peak Dou Emperor and hopes to advance to Dou Zong.
• The elders immediately ask Xiao Yang to refine pills for them, offering valuable payment such as:
  • Ingredients for Emperor’s Extreme Pills and Sect-Breaking Pills
  • A Sixth-Rank Lightning Magic Core
  • An attribute-less Earth-Tier Battle Skill
  • A Blazing Sun Spirit Grass
• Xiao Yang considers the benefits but remembers his true objective: obtaining the Fallen Heart Flame.
• He realizes that strengthening the Inner Academy’s elders too soon could make it impossible for the Fallen Heart Flame to escape the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. Since he does not want to attack Jia Nan Academy directly, he delays the elders by asking them to return with their ingredients in a week, claiming he needs time to recover.
• The elders readily agree and leave happily, while Hu Gan eagerly returns to the Outer Academy to attempt his breakthrough.
• Xiao Yi Xian prepares lunch for Xiao Yang and the two women, after which Xiao Yang secretly departs.
• Using his perfected Shadowless Movement Technique, Xiao Yang travels undetected to the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower and enters it without hesitation.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yang demonstrates exceptional alchemical ability by successfully refining multiple Sixth-Rank elixirs in succession. He also shows strategic restraint, prioritizing his long-term goal over immediate gains.
• His favorable attitude toward Jia Nan Academy becomes clear: he refuses to seize the Fallen Heart Flame by force and hopes to leave a young flame behind for the academy.
• Hu Gan regains hope after years of stagnation. The Sect-Breaking Pill gives him a chance to become a Dou Zong, and his excitement reveals how deeply he values this opportunity.
• Fire Elder and the other Inner Academy elders become increasingly respectful and eager to cooperate with Xiao Yang because of his rare alchemical skill.
• Su Qian is shown to be deeply concerned with Jia Nan Academy’s security and recognizes Xiao Yang’s pills as a possible means of strengthening the academy against the Black-Corner Region.

Significant Themes

• Hope after prolonged stagnation: Hu Gan’s reaction emphasizes how a single opportunity can revive someone’s ambitions after years of despair.
• Power and strategic balance: Xiao Yang must weigh the benefits of strengthening Jia Nan Academy against the risk that its increased power would prevent the Fallen Heart Flame from escaping.
• Patience and deception for a greater goal: Rather than openly revealing his intentions, Xiao Yang uses the excuse of needing rest to delay the elders while preserving his plans.
• Mutual benefit and trust: The academy’s elders trust Xiao Yang’s abilities and are willing to offer rare treasures in exchange for his help.
• Respect for allies: Xiao Yang’s reluctance to attack Jia Nan Academy directly reflects his positive feelings toward the institution and his desire to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Character Interactions

• Hu Gan approaches Xiao Yang first and receives the Sect-Breaking Pill, creating an emotional exchange centered on renewed hope.
• Fire Elder and the other elders compete to request Xiao Yang’s services, offering increasingly valuable materials and treasures.
• Xiao Yang politely rejects their immediate requests without breaking their trust, promising to begin work after a week.
• Xiao Yi Xian provides Xiao Yang with a quiet moment of care by preparing lunch before he leaves on his covert mission.
• The chapter ends with Xiao Yang acting alone, infiltrating the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower in pursuit of the Fallen Heart Flame.

Chapter Summary: “Upgrade Flame Manipulation Art!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yang secretly enters the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower at tremendous speed, avoiding both the guarding elders and the students at the entrance.
• Inside the tower, he allows the Heartfire to pass through his body rather than destroying it. This unexpectedly grants him cultivation experience every few seconds, suggesting that prolonged cultivation in the tower could eventually help him advance another star and reach the Dou Emperor realm.
• Xiao Yang considers saving cultivation experience instead of immediately breaking through, especially because obtaining the Fallen Heart Flame could allow him to accumulate experience continuously.
• He descends to the sixth floor, stopping before reaching areas where he might encounter elders.
• Using his powerful soul force, Xiao Yang probes the seal beneath the tower and sees the Fallen Heart Flame’s true form: a gigantic flaming python dwelling in a magma hell.
• The Fallen Heart Flame detects his soul force and attacks it with flames capable of annihilating spiritual power. Xiao Yang quickly withdraws, realizing that even Su Qian might not be able to detect the flame as easily as he can.
• Rather than breaking the seal, Xiao Yang secretly modifies its formation. He weakens the effect of the spatial power within it and alters the seal so that future injections of Dou Qi by the tower guardians will reduce its strength instead of reinforcing it.
• He carefully adjusts the seal so the Fallen Heart Flame can eventually escape, but not instantly, leaving enough time for the tower’s students and elders to evacuate.
• Xiao Yang returns to his loft without anyone noticing, with only Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan aware that he had left.
• He upgrades his Flame Manipulation Art from Mid Earth Tier to High Earth Tier using Shop Points.
• The upgraded technique dramatically improves his Dou Qi capacity, cultivation speed, experience gain, and Dou Qi quality. It also allows him to condense flames with power comparable to Heavenly Flames.
• Xiao Yang tests the upgraded technique by producing a pure black flame. Its temperature is several times higher than before, causing the room’s air to distort and demonstrating its frightening power.

Character Development

• Xiao Yang displays increasing confidence and sophistication in his use of soul power, formations, stealth, and strategic planning.
• He becomes more cautious and calculating, choosing not to destroy the seal outright and instead creating a controlled path for the Fallen Heart Flame’s future escape.
• His ambitions expand beyond immediate cultivation. He now plans to exploit the Fallen Heart Flame as a continuous source of cultivation experience.
• The technique upgrade significantly strengthens him, enhancing both his physical Dou Qi reserves and the destructive power of his flames.

Significant Themes

• Strategic manipulation over brute force: Xiao Yang does not simply break the tower’s seal; he subtly alters it to achieve his long-term goal while preserving an evacuation window.
• Power and ambition: The Fallen Heart Flame represents a major opportunity to accelerate Xiao Yang’s cultivation and potentially reach the Dou Emperor realm.
• Hidden strength and secrecy: Xiao Yang’s movements, soul probing, and seal modification remain undetected, emphasizing his growing ability to operate behind the scenes.
• Progress through systems and cultivation: The chapter combines traditional cultivation with Xiao Yang’s system-based upgrades, showing how both methods contribute to his rapid growth.
• Control of dangerous power: The Fallen Heart Flame and Xiao Yang’s new black flame are both immensely destructive, highlighting the importance of controlling powerful forces rather than merely possessing them.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Yang has no direct confrontation with the tower elders or students, successfully avoiding them through speed and concealment.
• The Fallen Heart Flame interacts with Xiao Yang indirectly by sensing and attacking his probing soul force, establishing its awareness and danger.
• After returning, Xiao Yang briefly reunites with Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan, though the chapter provides little dialogue between them.
• Xiao Yang’s actions remain hidden from the wider Inner Academy, allowing him to prepare the tower’s eventual crisis without suspicion.

Chapter Summary: Fallen Heart Flame Rampage!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yang finishes familiarizing himself with his strengthened flames and realizes that they will allow him to refine pills more efficiently.
• He reveals a single-use Fallen Heart Flame Lure, a powerful Heavenly Flame trap in the form of a small tower. The artifact emits a fluctuation that resembles a newly born Fallen Heart Flame, designed to lure the original Fallen Heart Flame out of the magma beneath the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
• Xiao Yang activates the trap by injecting it with dou qi. Its runes glow red, and the black flames within his body react restlessly.
• Beneath the tower, the Fallen Heart Flame senses the lure and mistakes it for a newly born flame of the same origin. Driven by instinct and the desire to devour it, the flame attacks the tower’s seal.
• The attack awakens the students cultivating inside the tower. Elder Liu orders everyone to evacuate and announces that their Fire Energy will be refunded.
• Elder Liu and another tower-guarding elder attempt to reinforce the seal, but the Fallen Heart Flame is far stronger than expected. Cracks begin spreading through the supposedly strengthened seal.
• Elder Liu calls for reinforcements. Su Qian and other Inner Academy elders rush to the tower.
• Before Su Qian can stabilize the seal, it collapses. He evacuates the two guarding elders and escapes just before the Fallen Heart Flame breaks free, destroying the top of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
• The escaped flame immediately heads toward Xiao Yang’s location, where many new students are gathered. Su Qian intercepts it and prepares to force it back into the tower.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yang demonstrates greater confidence in his flame-controlling abilities and shows his growing ambition to acquire a Heavenly Flame to improve his pill refinement.
• He also displays strategic intelligence by using a rare artifact specifically tailored to exploit the Fallen Heart Flame’s instincts.
• The Fallen Heart Flame is shown to possess rudimentary intelligence but remains primarily governed by instinct. Its hunger for a same-origin Heavenly Flame drives it into an uncontrolled frenzy.
• Elder Liu and the tower guardian act with experience and discipline, immediately responding to the crisis and attempting to reinforce the seal.
• Su Qian proves his authority and strength by arriving quickly, rescuing the elders, and confronting the escaped Heavenly Flame directly.

Significant Themes

• Power and control: Xiao Yang’s growing command over his flames contrasts with the Fallen Heart Flame’s lack of restraint.
• Instinct versus intelligence: The Fallen Heart Flame can recognize and pursue power but is easily deceived by the lure because its instincts override caution.
• Strategic preparation: Xiao Yang’s trap shows that superior planning can manipulate even a powerful Heavenly Flame.
• Danger beneath apparent stability: The Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, a place of cultivation and safety, conceals a volatile threat capable of endangering the entire Inner Academy.
• Escalation of power: The weakening seal and the flame’s increased strength establish that the crisis is far more serious than previous incidents.

Character Interactions

• Xiao Yang indirectly manipulates the Fallen Heart Flame through the specialized lure.
• The Fallen Heart Flame attacks the seal after sensing what it believes to be a newborn counterpart.
• Elder Liu coordinates the evacuation and works with another elder to contain the disaster.
• Su Qian takes command when the seal begins to fail, rescues the tower guardians, and confronts the escaping flame.
• The chapter ends with Su Qian standing between the Fallen Heart Flame and Xiao Yang’s pavilion, ordering the “wretched beast” back into the tower.

Chapter Summary

Plot and Events

• Su Qian and the Inner Academy elders battle the escaped Fallen Heart Flame near the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. Su Qian’s attack drives the flaming python back, but its flames spread throughout the academy and ignite nearby buildings.
• Fallen Heart Flame tries to break free and devour another Fallen Heart Flame, but Su Qian and more than a dozen elders—including three Peak Dou Emperors led by Fire Elder—temporarily suppress it.
• A powerful intruder breaks through the Inner Academy’s barrier and enters the battlefield. Wrapped in black mist, he reveals himself as a member of the Soul Hall and demands that Jia Nan Academy surrender Fallen Heart Flame.
• The Soul Hall expert, a Six-Star Dou Zong, mocks the academy and threatens to slaughter everyone if they resist. Su Qian refuses, invoking the academy’s headmaster, Mang Qianchi, but the intruder remains completely unconcerned.
• Su Qian attacks the Soul Hall member, but his blue palm strike is overwhelmed by the opponent’s black-mist fist. Su Qian is sent crashing through several buildings and suffers internal injuries, though he immediately returns to the fight.
• Sensing the disturbance, Xiao Yang informs Xiao Yi Xian that Fallen Heart Flame has escaped and goes to investigate. Xiao Yi Xian supports his decision and warns him to be careful.
• Xiao Yang reaches the battlefield and recognizes that Su Qian is being decisively suppressed. Choosing to intervene, he uses his highly refined soul power to create invisible spikes and launches them at the Soul Hall expert, whose identity and Six-Star Dou Zong cultivation he detects. The attack reaches the opponent before he can react.

Character Developments

• Su Qian: Demonstrates his determination to protect Jia Nan Academy and Fallen Heart Flame, even when facing a stronger Soul Hall opponent. Despite being injured, he refuses to retreat.
• Fallen Heart Flame: Becomes increasingly desperate and aggressive because Su Qian’s intervention prevents it from devouring the other flame.
• Soul Hall expert: Revealed as arrogant, powerful, and openly contemptuous of Jia Nan Academy. His goal is to seize Fallen Heart Flame and possibly harvest the souls of the academy’s residents.
• Xiao Yang: Shows strong situational awareness and loyalty by choosing to aid Su Qian rather than simply observing. His mastery of soul attacks is emphasized.
• Xiao Yi Xian: Supports Xiao Yang’s decision and their brief embrace highlights their trust and affection.

Significant Themes

• Protection versus domination: Su Qian defends the academy’s foundational treasure, while Soul Hall seeks to claim it through intimidation and force.
• The danger of Soul Hall: The chapter reinforces the organization’s reputation as a ruthless, continent-wide threat.
• Power imbalance and resistance: Even though the Soul Hall expert is stronger than Su Qian, Su Qian continues resisting, showing courage in the face of overwhelming power.
• Strategic intervention: Xiao Yang’s concealed soul attack demonstrates that intelligence, timing, and specialized abilities can challenge a stronger opponent.

Character Interactions

• Su Qian coordinates with the Inner Academy elders to restrain Fallen Heart Flame.
• Su Qian and the Soul Hall member exchange threats, with Su Qian defending the academy and the intruder demanding submission.
• Xiao Yang quietly informs Xiao Yi Xian of his plans; she responds with understanding and concern.
• Xiao Yang arrives as Su Qian is being overwhelmed and secretly launches a soul-power attack against the Soul Hall expert, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “Crisis”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A Soul Hall expert is suddenly attacked by Xiao Yang’s soul technique, causing the black mist around him to disperse and leaving him injured and disoriented.
• Su Qian immediately seizes the opportunity, striking the expert with a powerful palm attack that breaks through his defenses and severely wounds him.
• The Soul Hall expert consumes a large number of captured souls to increase his strength, rising from Six-Star Dou Zong to Seven-Star Dou Zong.
• Xiao Yang and Su Qian coordinate their attacks: Su Qian engages the enemy directly while Xiao Yang prepares another soul assault.
• The expert attempts to redirect his black soul chains toward Xiao Yang, but Xiao Yang’s Soul-Congealing Thorn destroys them. The enemy is shocked to discover that Xiao Yang possesses a Spirit Realm soul despite being only a Dou Wang.
• To defend himself, the expert burns tens of thousands—or possibly over a hundred thousand—souls to block Xiao Yang’s attack, exhausting most of his reserves.
• The Soul Hall expert tries to flee, but Su Qian traps him with Spatial Lockdown. Xiao Yang’s follow-up soul attack penetrates his defenses after his remaining souls are depleted.
• The enemy is briefly incapacitated, allowing Su Qian to strike him again. However, realizing that Xiao Yang is the greatest threat to his survival, the expert teleports directly toward him.
• Xiao Yang attempts to retreat toward the elders, but he cannot match the enemy’s spatial movement because he has not yet reached the Dou Zong realm. The chapter ends with the enemy closing in on him, intending to kill him and seize his powerful soul and the Fallen Heart Flame.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yang: Reveals the terrifying strength of his Spirit Realm soul. His soul attacks repeatedly disrupt and injure a powerful Dou Zong expert, proving that his spiritual abilities far exceed what his cultivation level suggests. However, his lack of spatial power leaves him vulnerable in direct combat.
• Su Qian: Demonstrates quick judgment and decisive leadership. He immediately exploits the enemy’s weakness, coordinates with Xiao Yang, and uses Spatial Lockdown to prevent the Soul Hall expert from escaping.
• Soul Hall Expert: Shifts from arrogance to fear and desperation after discovering Xiao Yang’s true soul strength. He uses captured souls to increase his cultivation, burns them as shields, and ultimately abandons escape to launch a final attack against Xiao Yang.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and underestimated opponents: Xiao Yang’s Dou Wang cultivation disguises the extraordinary power of his Spirit Realm soul.
• Teamwork and coordination: Su Qian and Xiao Yang combine physical and soul-based attacks to overcome an enemy who temporarily surpasses Su Qian in cultivation.
• The cost of power: The Soul Hall expert sacrifices vast numbers of souls to strengthen and protect himself, emphasizing the destructive methods used by Soul Hall.
• Desperation and survival: As his resources disappear and escape becomes impossible, the expert becomes increasingly ruthless, choosing to eliminate Xiao Yang rather than flee.
• The danger of the Fallen Heart Flame: Its value makes Jia Nan Academy a target for powerful factions, forcing Su Qian to recognize that allowing the enemy to escape could bring further attacks.

Character Interactions

• Su Qian quickly recognizes that Xiao Yang caused the enemy’s initial injury and uses the opening to attack.
• Xiao Yang privately instructs Su Qian to combine a soul attack with a physical ambush, establishing effective cooperation between them.
• The Soul Hall expert directly taunts Xiao Yang and later identifies him as the central threat.
• Su Qian attempts to protect Xiao Yang by warning him to retreat, but the enemy’s teleportation gives him the advantage, leaving Xiao Yang in immediate danger.

Chapter Summary: “Two Hundred Billion Experience!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xiao Yang continues hiding his true cultivation using his immense soul power. The Soul Hall expert mistakenly concludes that Xiao Yang is only a weak Dou Zong—or not even a Dou Zong—because he cannot manipulate space or walk through the air.
• Believing Xiao Yang is exhausted after repeatedly using soul techniques, the Soul Hall Dou Zong teleports directly beside him and attempts to capture him with a giant hand formed from black mist.
• Xiao Yang reveals that his apparent fear and weakness were a deception. He unleashes a prepared Soul-Congealing Thorn attack, sending countless invisible spikes into the enemy’s soul and leaving him stunned and injured.
• The Soul Hall expert still tries to kill Xiao Yang, but Xiao Yang activates his upgraded armor and defensive barrier. Although the barrier quickly cracks under the black mist attack, it weakens the strike enough for Xiao Yang to counter with a massive black-flame palm.
• Xiao Yang’s counterattack destroys the weakened black-mist hand and sends the Soul Hall Dou Zong flying. Xiao Yang then uses the system to restore his soul power and immediately launches another Soul-Congealing Thorn attack.
• Su Qian arrives at the critical moment and strikes the already-wounded Soul Hall expert. With his soul damaged and his defenses inadequate, the enemy is killed.
• The system reveals that Xiao Yang contributed 70% of the damage and awards him 112 billion Universal Experience and 378 million Shop Points. Because his cultivation technique provides an experience bonus, Xiao Yang effectively gains 200 billion experience.
• Xiao Yang realizes this reward could allow him to advance dramatically, potentially reaching the Nine-Revolution Dou Zun level or even raising a future Dou Saint’s cultivation by two stars.
• While everyone is celebrating the defeat of the invading Soul Hall expert, the Fallen Heart Flame suddenly senses Xiao Yang’s immense attraction and attacks him.
• Xiao Yang deliberately pretends to be exhausted and allows the Fallen Heart Flame to swallow him. The flame ignores the elders’ attacks and retreats into the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower with Xiao Yang inside.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yang: Demonstrates strategic deception, combat intelligence, and confidence. He deliberately allows the enemy to underestimate him, conserves his decisive attacks, restores his soul power through the system, and manipulates the situation to be swallowed by the Fallen Heart Flame—apparently as part of a larger plan.
• Soul Hall Dou Zong: His greed and overconfidence lead to his downfall. He assumes Xiao Yang is weak, misjudges his soul reserves, and attacks at close range without realizing Xiao Yang has prepared a counterattack.
• Su Qian: Acts decisively when Xiao Yang creates an opening, delivering the final blow and helping eliminate the Soul Hall invader.
• Inner Academy Elders: Shift from near-despair after the invasion to relief and excitement after the enemy is killed. They remain protective of Xiao Yang when the Fallen Heart Flame attacks him.
• Fallen Heart Flame: Becomes increasingly aggressive and instinct-driven. It recognizes Xiao Yang as an extraordinarily valuable source of energy and abandons everything else to devour him.

Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden strength: Xiao Yang’s success depends on concealing his true abilities and allowing the enemy to form false assumptions.
• Greed and arrogance as weaknesses: The Soul Hall expert’s desire to capture Xiao Yang for rewards prevents him from recognizing the danger and causes him to attack recklessly.
• Teamwork and timing: Xiao Yang weakens and immobilizes the enemy, while Su Qian delivers the killing strike. Their coordinated actions overcome a powerful opponent.
• Growth through the system: The enormous experience reward highlights Xiao Yang’s rapidly accelerating power and the system’s central role in his advancement.
• Risk as strategy: Xiao Yang willingly lets the Fallen Heart Flame consume him, suggesting that he views even a dangerous situation as an opportunity for further growth or control.

Important Character Interactions

• The Soul Hall Dou Zong pursues Xiao Yang, believing him to be weak and exhausted.
• Xiao Yang baits the enemy into close range, attacks his soul, and counters his black-mist technique.
• Xiao Yang calls for Su Qian to act after incapacitating the Soul Hall expert.
• Su Qian kills the invader while Xiao Yang maintains pressure with another soul attack.
• The Inner Academy elders warn Xiao Yang and rush to protect him from the Fallen Heart Flame, but Xiao Yang intentionally allows himself to be swallowed and taken back into the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.

Chapter Summary: Is Xiao Yang Dead?

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Fallen Heart Flame’s seed is essentially immortal and cannot be destroyed, only suppressed within the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
• After swallowing Xiao Yang, the flame returns to the deepest part of the tower and enters the Magma World, intending to devour the infant Fallen Heart Flame Xiao Yang possesses.
• Xiao Yang reveals that being swallowed was part of his plan. He protects himself with black flames formed from Dou Qi while secretly reinforcing the tower’s seal during the descent.
• Once the Fallen Heart Flame reaches the magma, Xiao Yang activates the Fallen Heart Flame Trap. The device’s suction pulls both the flame’s core and its fire-python body into the trap, successfully capturing it.
• Rather than immediately refining the captured flame, Xiao Yang wraps himself in Soul Power and continues descending into the magma sea, sensing that Su Qian and the elders are pursuing him.
• Su Qian, Fire Elder, and the other elders search for Xiao Yang but find no trace of him. Fire Elder attempts to enter the magma, but Su Qian stops him, warning that even he would likely die in the Fallen Heart Flame’s territory.
• The elders assume Xiao Yang has probably perished after being swallowed, though they continue searching out of gratitude, guilt, and hope.
• The search eventually ends, and the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower is reopened. Su Qian and Fire Elder go to Xiao Yang’s pavilion to inform Xiao Yi Xian of his presumed death.
• Xiao Yi Xian remains confident that Xiao Yang is still alive. Su Qian cannot bring himself to contradict her.
• In recognition of Xiao Yang’s contributions to the academy, Su Qian declares that Xiao Yi Xian and Xiao Yang’s family will receive free access to the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yang: Demonstrates exceptional planning, courage, and resourcefulness. He deliberately allows himself to be swallowed so he can lure and capture the Fallen Heart Flame, proving that his apparent death may be a calculated part of a larger plan.
• Su Qian: Acts responsibly by restraining Fire Elder and acknowledging the danger of pursuing the flame in the magma. He feels guilt over Xiao Yang’s apparent death and honors Xiao Yang’s service to the academy.
• Fire Elder: Shows deep concern for Xiao Yang and is willing to risk his life to search for him. His attachment is both emotional and practical, since Xiao Yang is also tied to his hopes of advancing in cultivation and alchemy.
• Xiao Yi Xian: Displays unwavering faith in Xiao Yang, refusing to accept that he has died despite the elders’ account.
• Zi Yan: Remains blunt and irreverent, unaware at first of the serious reason for Su Qian and Fire Elder’s visit.

Significant Themes

• Self-sacrifice and loyalty: The elders’ willingness to search for Xiao Yang reflects their gratitude and emotional bond with him.
• Hope versus appearances: Although Xiao Yang appears to have been killed, Xiao Yi Xian’s confidence suggests that appearances may be misleading.
• Strategic deception: Xiao Yang uses the Fallen Heart Flame’s assumptions against it, turning his apparent defeat into an opportunity to capture it.
• Recognition and repayment: The academy acknowledges Xiao Yang’s contribution by granting his family permanent benefits.
• The danger and power of Heavenly Flames: The Fallen Heart Flame is portrayed as nearly indestructible and overwhelmingly dominant within the magma environment.

Important Character Interactions

• Fire Elder urges Su Qian to find Xiao Yang and nearly dives into the magma before Su Qian stops him.
• Su Qian and Fire Elder struggle to tell Xiao Yi Xian that Xiao Yang is presumed dead.
• Xiao Yi Xian calmly rejects their implied conclusion, insisting that Xiao Yang is still alive.
• Su Qian formally honors Xiao Yang by promising free tower access to Xiao Yi Xian and his family.

Chapter Summary: “Refining the Fallen Heart Flame”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Su Qian and the Great Elder visit Xiao Yi Xian after Xiao Yang disappears beneath the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower. Believing Xiao Yang is unlikely to survive, they offer the Xiao Household special admission slots and promise to monitor the seal’s activity. Fire Elder also offers his assistance because he owes Xiao Yang a favor.
• After they leave, Xiao Yi Xian uses the Voice Transmission Token Xiao Yang gave her. Xiao Yang replies, confirming that he is alive and easing her worries.
• Xiao Yang escapes the dangerous area beneath the tower and travels through the magma sea, deliberately moving away from the seal and the Half-Saint-level Lizardmen.
• He prepares to refine the Fallen Heart Flame using a spirit receptacle, a Sixth-Rank Ice-Heart Pill, a Sixth-Rank Flame-Control Pill, and a Fifth-Rank Blood Lotus Pill. These items protect his body and allow him to contain the Heavenly Flame.
• Xiao Yang swallows the Fallen Heart Flame seed and begins forcing it toward his Dantian. The flame violently resists, burning through his protective Dou Qi and consuming the defensive effects of his pills.
• Unlike ordinary cultivators, Xiao Yang can instantly restore his Dou Qi by spending experience points. This allows him to repeatedly replenish his energy and refine the flame through brute force without risking exhaustion.
• After several hours, he successfully drags the Fallen Heart Flame into his Dantian, where it is absorbed into his Dou Qi vortex and becomes calm. He then transfers it into the spirit receptacle.
• Refining the Fallen Heart Flame causes Xiao Yang’s cultivation experience to surge dramatically. He suppresses an immediate breakthrough, leaving him at Nine-Star Dou Wang with enough accumulated experience to potentially reach the Three-Star Dou Huang realm.
• Xiao Yang decides to hunt powerful Dou Zong experts or Tier 7 Magical Beasts first, hoping to accumulate enough experience to leap directly toward the Dou Zun, Dou Saint, or even Dou Emperor realms.

Character Developments

• Xiao Yang: Demonstrates exceptional courage, preparation, and confidence by refining an extremely powerful Heavenly Flame through a dangerous but efficient method. His system-based ability to restore Dou Qi gives him a major advantage over conventional cultivators. His ambitions also expand, as he begins planning rapid advancement toward the highest realms.
• Xiao Yi Xian: Although she trusts Xiao Yang, she is visibly worried after hearing Su Qian’s description of the danger. His reply reassures her and restores her confidence.
• Su Qian and Fire Elder: Both acknowledge Xiao Yang’s importance and offer practical support to the Xiao Household. Their attitudes show respect and concern despite their belief that Xiao Yang may have died.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus overwhelming danger: Xiao Yang survives not through luck alone but by gathering multiple protective treasures and planning his refinement carefully.
• The advantages of unique power systems: His ability to restore Dou Qi with experience points allows him to ignore the usual limitations that make Heavenly Flame refinement nearly fatal.
• Ambition and rapid advancement: Xiao Yang views every powerful enemy and treasure as a means of accelerating his cultivation, setting his sights far beyond the Dou Wang realm.
• Trust and reassurance: Xiao Yi Xian’s faith in Xiao Yang is reinforced when he communicates with her, contrasting with the elders’ assumption that he has perished.
• Power as a strategic resource: The Fallen Heart Flame is valuable not only as a weapon but also because it directly boosts cultivation experience.

Character Interactions

• Su Qian, the Great Elder, and Fire Elder speak with Xiao Yi Xian about Xiao Yang’s presumed death and offer continued support to the Xiao Household.
• Xiao Yi Xian contacts Xiao Yang through the Voice Transmission Token, and his response reassures her that he remains alive.
• Xiao Yang has no direct interaction with the elders during the refinement, but his actions prove that their pessimistic assessment of his survival was mistaken.

Key plot points and events

• After refining the Fallen Heart Flame, Xiao Yang discovers it continuously condenses his Dou Qi and uses it to protect himself as he dives into the magma beneath the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
• He carefully evades the Lizardmen while searching for Heavenly Fire Venerable’s hidden refuge. When he senses the infant Fallen Heart Flame, he follows it to a concealed space containing a skeleton, a Storage Ring, and Heavenly Fire Venerable’s weakened soul.
• Heavenly Fire Venerable offers Xiao Yang the high Earth-tier fire-control technique Five-Wheel Fire-Leaving Method as advance payment for rescuing him. A system quest then promises substantial rewards for bringing him out and eventually resurrecting him, including a resurrection method and an upgrade of the technique to mid Heaven tier.
• Xiao Yang accepts, stores Heavenly Fire Venerable, the skeleton, and the infant flame, and returns safely through the magma while avoiding two more Lizardmen.
• At the tower’s sealed entrance, Xiao Yang breaks through and reassures Elder Liu. He claims he survived by successfully refining the Fallen Heart Flame. Elder Liu is astonished but prioritizes Xiao Yang’s safety.
• Su Qian and the other Inner Academy elders arrive. Their initial anger and alarm turn to relief and joy when they see Xiao Yang alive.

Character developments

• Xiao Yang demonstrates caution, confidence, and resourcefulness: he manages a dangerous magma descent, rescues Heavenly Fire Venerable, and conceals the true circumstances of his survival with a convenient explanation.
• Heavenly Fire Venerable is revealed to be a greatly weakened spirit who is desperate for help and willing to trust Xiao Yang as his last chance.
• Elder Liu, Su Qian, and the Inner Academy elders show how highly they value Xiao Yang—as a colleague, a powerful alchemist, and someone whose earlier actions helped save them.

Significant themes

• Power and growth: The Fallen Heart Flame strengthens Xiao Yang by refining his Dou Qi, while Heavenly Fire Venerable’s technique offers further potential.
• Trust and survival: Heavenly Fire Venerable entrusts his fate to Xiao Yang, and Xiao Yang takes on the risk of saving him.
• Loyalty and mutual regard: The elders’ intense relief reflects their gratitude and personal concern for Xiao Yang.
• Opportunity within danger: Xiao Yang turns a near-fatal ordeal into a chance to gain a valuable technique and advance a new quest.

Character interactions

• Heavenly Fire Venerable negotiates with Xiao Yang, offering the technique and asking to be carried out in the Storage Ring; Xiao Yang readily agrees.
• Elder Liu welcomes Xiao Yang back, hears his explanation, and moves to inform Su Qian.
• Su Qian and the other elders greet Xiao Yang with visible relief and excitement, underscoring his importance to the Inner Academy.

Plot points and events

• After Xiao Yang returns from the Magma World, he explains that he survived refining the Fallen Heart Flame and found a newborn one on his way out.
• Great Elder Su Qian explains that the academy needs a Child Flame to keep the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower operating. Xiao Yang offers the newborn flame, which Su Qian agrees is well suited to the academy because it can grow attached to it as it is nurtured.
• Xiao Yang returns to his pavilion, where Zi Yan and Xiao Yi Xian welcome him after fearing he had been killed by the flame. Zi Yan had tried to enter the tower to find him, while Xiao Yi Xian says she had barely eaten during his absence.
• After resting and sharing a meal with them, Xiao Yang uses his experience points to advance his soul realm from Mid Spirit Realm to Pinnacle Heaven Realm. The immense spiritual energy creates a vortex above his pavilion and sends a powerful pressure across the Inner Academy, forcing Su Qian down from the air.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Yang demonstrates generosity and responsibility by providing the academy with a replacement flame, then immediately pursues further cultivation.
• Su Qian moves from concern over the tower’s future to excitement and gratitude once Xiao Yang reveals the infant flame.
• Zi Yan reveals how deeply she cares about Xiao Yang despite denying it. She reunites with him in tears, then masks her feelings with teasing and indignation.
• Xiao Yi Xian openly admits her worry, embraces Xiao Yang, and cares for him by preparing a meal. Their reunion is affectionate and intimate.
• The reunion at the pavilion offers a warm contrast to Xiao Yang’s dangerous ordeal; the chapter ends by shifting back to the scale and danger of his growing power.

Significant themes

• Duty and cooperation: Xiao Yang’s gift allows the academy to preserve an important institution despite the original flame’s loss.
• Hidden affection: Zi Yan’s denial contrasts with her fear and emotional reunion, while Xiao Yi Xian expresses her concern directly.
• Power and its consequences: Xiao Yang’s rapid advancement shakes the Inner Academy and alarms even its Great Elder.

Key events

• Xiao Yang’s surging soul power releases a fraction of its pressure across the Inner Academy, forcing students and elders—including the Great Elder—to the ground. They fear a powerhouse stronger than the absent headmaster has arrived.
• After the pressure fades, Xiao Yang discovers his body is breaking down because it cannot withstand his newly increased soul power.
• He takes a sixth-tier healing pill to slow the damage, then buys an expensive Eighth-Tier Eight-Turn Golden Body Pill from his shop. The pill is sentient and initially takes the form of a rabbit.
• Xiao Yang swallows the pill and endures intense pain as its medicinal energy strengthens his body. Once he finishes absorbing it, he finds his physical strength has risen dramatically—possibly enough to kill a Dou Zong with his bare body.
• Su Qian investigates the disturbance and notices the medicinal fragrance and unusually lush plants around Xiao Yang’s residence. He suspects Xiao Yang caused the event but waits, unsure of his condition.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Yang responds quickly to a potentially fatal imbalance between his soul and body, using the shop to acquire a powerful remedy. He withstands its painful effects and emerges far stronger.
• Su Qian is cautious but perceptive: he connects the pressure and strange changes around Xiao Yang’s home, though he does not enter without knowing whether Xiao Yang is safe.
• The Inner Academy’s students and elders are left frightened by the unexplained display of power, while the Great Elder recognizes that its source may surpass even the headmaster.

Significant themes

• Power requires a foundation: Xiao Yang’s immense soul power threatens his body until he strengthens it to match.
• Strength comes at a cost: The pill is potent but causes severe pain, and its extraordinary price reflects its value.
• Mystery and escalating danger: The Academy’s recent crises leave its people on edge, and Xiao Yang’s growing power adds another unsettling unknown.

Plot points and events

• Xiao Yang buys the Mid Earth Tier soul technique Soul-Slaying Blade for 400 million Shop Points, then uses Universal Experience to raise it to perfect mastery.
• His Pinnacle Heaven Realm soul lets him create a soul clone with the strength of a Two-Star Dou Saint. He believes this makes him capable of killing Dou Zuns—and potentially earning enormous experience through the reward bonuses for defeating opponents far above his cultivation.
• He decides to target the Soul Hall, both to gain experience and because it serves the Hun Clan, a major enemy of the continent. He identifies two possible leads among people connected to the organization and plans to visit the Black-Corner Region the next day to track them down.
• Xiao Yang also plans to search for the Bodhi Body-Transformation Saliva and a Purifying Lotus Demon Flame fragment map. These would help him obtain more Heavenly Flames, resurrect the Heavenly Fire Venerable, and advance his plans for Xiao Yi Xian’s Poison Pill. He considers buying the needed Magic Core if necessary.
• Outside the alchemy room, Zi Yan detects the pill Xiao Yang took and begs for one. He promises to refine her a Transformation Pill, and she insists on staying with him until he does.

Character developments

• Xiao Yang is increasingly confident in his strength and his ability to accelerate his growth by exploiting experience rewards. He has shifted from preparation to planning high-stakes hunts.
• Zi Yan’s eagerness for a Transformation Pill—and her attachment to Xiao Yang—comes through in her playful persistence.

Significant themes

• Power and rapid advancement: Xiao Yang combines soul strength, technique mastery, and game-like reward systems to leap beyond normal limits.
• Strategic ambition: He treats missions, enemies, and resources as parts of a broader plan for cultivation and helping his allies.
• Personal bonds amid grand plans: Even while plotting against the Soul Hall, Xiao Yang remains attentive to Zi Yan’s wishes.

Character interactions

• Xiao Yang’s brief exchange with Zi Yan provides a lighthearted contrast to his calculations about killing powerful enemies. She eagerly clings to him and demands the Transformation Pill; he responds with amused, affectionate patience.

Key plot points and events

• Su Qian visits Xiao Yang after sensing an alarming, beastlike pressure from him. Xiao Yang denies sensing anything, and Su Qian leaves, promising that the academy will reward him for defeating a powerful enemy—likely with medicinal herbs.
• At breakfast, Xiao Yang tells Xiao Yi Xian and Zi Yan that he plans to leave Jia Nan Academy after finishing his pill commissions. His route will take him to the Black-Corner Region, the Jia Ma Empire, his clan, and eventually the Central Plains. He also intends to eliminate Protector Wu and investigate the Soul Hall.
• Zi Yan struggles with leaving the academy, which she considers home, but decides to accompany Xiao Yang. She hopes to mature, discover her true form, and learn about her origins.
• After several days of rest, Xiao Yang accepts the Inner Academy elders’ requests for pills. Before beginning, he spends a large amount of experience to advance his alchemist and artifact-refiner professions. He absorbs the new knowledge and begins refining pills.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Yang appears increasingly formidable, unsettling Su Qian without making any obvious move. He remains focused on his wider goals and treats his departure as a natural next step. His rapid professional advancement further demonstrates his extraordinary power and resources.
• Su Qian is shaken by Xiao Yang’s presence but conceals his unease, asking whether anything unusual occurred before offering the academy’s reward.
• Xiao Yi Xian is unsurprised by Xiao Yang’s plan and is prepared to follow him wherever he goes.
• Zi Yan reveals a more vulnerable, determined side. Though torn between her attachment to the academy and her desire to grow up and learn her origins, she chooses to travel with Xiao Yang.

Significant themes

• Ambition and onward journeys: Xiao Yang has outgrown the Northwestern Continent and pursues greater challenges and resources.
• Belonging and identity: Zi Yan weighs her home and family ties against her need to understand who she is.
• Extraordinary power and growth: Xiao Yang’s intimidating presence and rapid rise in two professions highlight his continuing advancement.
• Loyalty and companionship: Xiao Yi Xian’s steadfast support and Zi Yan’s decision to join Xiao Yang reinforce the bonds connecting the group.

Key plot points and events

• Xiao Yang completes a batch of Sixth-Grade pills and gives the waiting Inner Academy elders the medicines he had promised. Every pill is supreme quality and bears a pill pattern, astonishing the elders—especially Fire Elder, who suspects Xiao Yang’s alchemy skill is far beyond the sixth rank.
• The elders leave eagerly to use their pills, paying Xiao Yang extra.
• Xiao Yang confirms that he, Zi Yan, and Xiao Yi Xian will leave in three days. He exchanges his herb allowance for ingredients, then says goodbye to the Inner Academy.
• Su Qian supports Zi Yan’s departure and gives her a collection of herbs, including ingredients for a Transformation Pill. Xiao Yang also leaves pills for Xiao Yu at the Outer Academy.
• The trio travels to Black Emperor City aboard Xiao Yang’s newly purchased Eighth-Grade Spirit Artifact, the Void Shuttle, arriving in a little over a day. Xiao Yang then spreads his soul power across the city, intending to search for something.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiao Yang displays extraordinary alchemical ability and generosity, fulfilling his promises to the elders while still being careful with his resources. He takes the lead in arranging the group’s departure and journey.
• The elders, particularly Fire Elder, are awed by the quality and quantity of Xiao Yang’s pills. Their gratitude is shown through additional payment and their eagerness to use them.
• Zi Yan accepts that she is leaving and prepares to say goodbye. Though Su Qian is reluctant to part with her, he respects her ambition and supports her growth beyond the Northwestern Continent.
• Su Qian and Zi Yan share a meaningful farewell: his gift of long-collected herbs shows his affection and support.
• Xiao Yi Xian accompanies Xiao Yang and Zi Yan on their departure.

Significant themes

• Mastery and achievement: Xiao Yang’s ability to produce many supreme-quality pills highlights his exceptional skill.
• Mentorship and support: Su Qian helps Zi Yan pursue growth even though it means letting her go.
• Ambition and transition: The departure marks a move beyond familiar surroundings toward greater opportunities.
• Generosity and reciprocity: Xiao Yang fulfills his commitments to the elders, while Su Qian equips Zi Yan for the road ahead.