Chapter Summaries

Xiao Fan gave up on intensive cultivation after the system offered a fifth-grade Alchemist advancement for winning the Inner Academy Selection Tournament. He arrived at the tournament, where Instructor Ruo Lin explained the rules to him and Xiao Xun'er, while Xiao Yan was still absent.

• Xiao Fan failed another attempt to refine a Tearing Pill and reflected on his progress toward becoming a fifth-grade Alchemist.
• The system gave Xiao Fan a quest to take first place in the tournament, promising cultivation, Source Coins, and Alchemist rank rewards while imposing harsher penalties for failure.
• Xiao Fan lost his motivation to cultivate, left the pill refinement room, and spent several days away from training before the tournament began.
• Xiao Fan joined Instructor Ruo Lin and Xiao Xun'er at the martial arts arena, where Ruo Lin explained the tournament's elimination rounds and rewards.
• Ruo Lin noted that Xiao Yan had not arrived, and Xiao Xun'er apologized, saying she had expected him to make it.

Xiao Fan watched the Outer Academy selection tournament and defeated Yue Yao with a fire lotus formed by fusing the Green Lotus Core Flame and a beast flame. After he said a girl was waiting for him, Yue Yao concluded that he was still single.

• Hu Gan announced the start of the selection tournament, and Xiao Fan correctly predicted that Han Yu would outlast Qin Yang.
• Xiao Xun'er defeated Liu Ming with a golden-lit palm strike.
• Xiao Fan faced Yue Yao, whose water technique covered the platform and hindered his movement.
• Xiao Fan used the Green Lotus Core Flame to counter Yue Yao's water technique, then fused it with a beast flame to destroy her whale attack.
• After Xiao Fan won, Yue Yao asked whether he had a girlfriend, and he told her a girl was waiting for him.

Xiao Yan arrived just before forfeiting his selection tournament match and defeated Xue Beng with a single punch. He reunited with Xiao Xun'er and sat beside her and Xiao Fan as the tournament continued.

• Xiao Fan reassured Xiao Xun'er and Instructor Ruo Lin that Xiao Yan was coming just as the referee was about to declare his forfeit.
• Xiao Yan arrived at the arena with his Xuan Heavy Ruler and was announced for his match against Xue Beng.
• Xue Beng insulted Xiao Yan, who answered with one punch that knocked him off the stage and won the match.
• Xiao Xun'er rushed into Xiao Yan's arms, while Hu Jia complained to Hu Gan about their embrace.
• Xiao Yan apologized to Instructor Ruo Lin for being late, thanked Xiao Xun'er, and sat beside her and Xiao Fan to watch the remaining matches.

Xiao Fan told Xiao Yan and Yao Lao how the Hall of Souls had taken him to the Black-Corner Region and explained his suspicions about Xiao Zhan's disappearance. Xiao Yan learned that his father was likely alive, and the chapter ended with Xiao Fan encouraging him to spend time with Xiao Xun'er.

• Xiao Yan asked Xiao Fan whether he had sent Commander Han Jue to the Xiao Clan, and Xiao Fan began explaining what had happened after they parted in the Tagor Desert.
• Xiao Fan recounted his encounter with the Eagle Protector, his forced journey to the Black-Corner Region, and his discovery that the Black Skull Tomb served the Hall of Souls.
• Xiao Fan told Yao Lao and Xiao Yan that the Eagle Protector had branded his mind and wanted the flames within him, but that he had refined away most of the brand.
• Xiao Fan suspected the Hall of Souls had captured Xiao Zhan because it was searching for something belonging to the Xiao Clan, and Xiao Yan showed them a fragment indicating that his father was still alive.
• Xiao Fan urged Xiao Yan to focus on becoming stronger, then teased him about Xiao Xun'er as the two left together.

Xiao Yan defeated Lu Mu in the tournament after revealing his green lotus core flame, while Xiao Fan drew the Alchemy Department’s attention with his alchemy skills. The chapter ended as Yan Cheng and Wu Hao were announced as the next opponents.

• Xiao Fan teased Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er about leaving together the previous night, and the group watched the second day of the competition begin.
• Xiao Fan caught the attention of Hu Gan and Old Man Huo, who discussed his heavenly flame and possible place in the Alchemy Department.
• Xiao Yan told Xiao Fan he was curious about his alchemy, then learned Xiao Fan could refine Fifth-grade Pills and felt dejected.
• Xiao Yan faced Lu Mu, revealed his green lotus core flame, and defeated him through precise flame control.
• Xiao Yan and Lu Mu agreed to discuss their flame-control techniques, and the referee announced Yan Cheng versus Wu Hao.

Wu Hao defeated Yan Cheng in two moves during the tournament, then challenged Xiao Fan after noticing him in the stands. Xiao Fan refused to fight, and Wu Hao left the arena after the referee intervened.

• Wu Hao appeared in the arena, and the audience and academy elders reacted to his fearsome blood aura and reputation.
• After the match began, Wu Hao defeated Yan Cheng in two moves, and Yan Cheng surrendered.
• Wu Hao searched the stands and challenged Xiao Fan, saying he wanted to test the strength of the student who had beaten Bai Shan.
• Xiao Fan refused to fight and questioned why Wu Hao had challenged him instead of Xiao Yan over Xun'er.
• The referee told Wu Hao to leave the arena, and Wu Hao walked away after one last glance at Xiao Fan.

After the first two days of the Inner Academy Selection Tournament, Xiao Fan and the other students learned that the final round would use five separate free-for-all matches to determine who could enter the Dou Technique Pavilion. The chapter ended as Hu Gan assigned the fifty competitors to their areas, placing Xiao Fan, Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao in separate groups.

• Xiao Fan explained that he had refused Wu Hao's challenge because he saw no benefit in fighting him, then watched Xiao Xun'er and Xiao Fan win their next matches without fully displaying their strength.
• Bai Shan defeated his opponent in one blow, while Hu Jia beat her opponent into submission, prompting Hu Gan to fret over her behavior.
• Hu Gan announced that the fifty students who had secured entry to the Inner Academy would compete for five places in the Dou Technique Pavilion, and Xiao Yan visited Xiao Xun'er that evening.
• Hu Gan divided the arena into five areas and declared that each group of ten would fight with no rules, leading the students to realize they might join forces to eliminate the strongest competitors.
• Hu Gan announced the group assignments, placing Xiao Fan in area one, Xiao Yan in area two, Xiao Xun'er in area three, Hu Jia in area four, and Wu Hao in area five.

Xiao Fan and the other Da Dou Shi took their places in a five-stage group competition, where most faced coordinated attacks from Dou Shi opponents. Xiao Fan began fighting nine students alone and drove back his first attackers, while the chapter ended with an unexpected development on Xiao Yan and Bai Shan’s stage.

• Xiao Fan realized that he and Wu Hao faced the greatest pressure because each had to fight nine Dou Shi alone, while several other Da Dou Shi had partners.
• Xiao Yan and Bai Shan refused to cooperate, while Xiao Xun'er and Wu Min, and Hu Jia and Cheng Yang, teamed up against their opponents.
• Hu Gan started the competition, and the Da Dou Shi moved to attack before the Dou Shi could organize their tactics.
• Yue Yao spread water across Xiao Fan’s stage to slow him, then offered to support the group attacking him.
• Xiao Fan used Heavenly Flames to break through an earth-attribute student’s defense, then countered two students attacking from either side and forced them back.
• The other stages saw the Da Dou Shi fight off groups of opponents, while an unexpected turn emerged on Xiao Yan and Bai Shan’s stage.

Bai Shan attacked Xiao Yan first in the second zone, and their clash unleashed a blast that threatened the other contestants. In the first zone, Yue Yao helped Xiao Fan defeat the Dou Shi there, then Xiao Fan asked why she had assisted him.

• Bai Shan charged Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yan struck him with Eight Extremes Collapse, injuring him with Hidden Force.
• Xiao Yan and Bai Shan unleashed their trump-card techniques, and the collision of fire and lightning injured a nearby Dou Shi and forced the others to dodge.
• Xiao Xun'er increased the force of her attacks while the contestants in the other zones watched the explosion in the second zone.
• Xiao Fan used Cloud Crane Shadow while Yue Yao restrained the first-zone Dou Shi with water, allowing his green flames to knock them all down.
• Xiao Fan protected Yue Yao from the blast with a barrier, then asked her why she had helped him.

Xiao Fan sat out his first-zone match beside Yue Yao, whose sorrow triggered a mysterious system quest, while the other zones finished their battles. Hu Gan announced Xiao Fan, Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao as the tournament’s top five.

• Yue Yao approached Xiao Fan, sat beside him instead of fighting, and moved close as they watched the other zones.
• Xiao Fan received the unexplained “Moon's Sorrow” quest and spoke with Yue Yao, who said it had been a long time since she felt so happy.
• Xiao Yan defeated Bai Shan and the remaining fighters in the second zone, while Xiao Xun'er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao won in the third, fourth, and fifth zones.
• Yue Yao left the first-zone platform without fighting, and Xiao Fan turned his attention to Xiao Yan.
• Hu Gan announced Xiao Fan, Xiao Yan, Xiao Xun'er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao as the top five, delighting Xiao Yu and Ruo Lin.

Xiao Fan defeated Wu Hao in the ranking matches, and Xiao Yan beat Hu Jia to join Xiao Fan and Xiao Xun'er in the top three. Xun'er had received a bye, leaving the three contestants to compete for the final rankings.

• Hu Gan drew the matchups, pairing Xiao Fan against Wu Hao and Xiao Yan against Hu Jia while Xiao Xun'er advanced with a bye.
• Xiao Fan and Wu Hao exchanged powerful attacks, and Wu Hao grew more aggressive as Xiao Fan calmly deflected his blows.
• Xiao Fan shattered Wu Hao's Blood Cleaving Slash with Crane Shadow, and Wu Hao conceded after the blast left him injured and his clothes in tatters.
• Xiao Yan faced Hu Jia after Xiao Fan returned to the stands, and Hu Jia challenged him over Xiao Xun'er.
• Xiao Yan used his agility and Heavenly Flames to corner Hu Jia and knock her off the stage, advancing to the top three with Xiao Fan and Xiao Xun'er.

Xiao Xun'er conceded her match against Xiao Yan, leaving him to face Xiao Fan in a fierce duel. Xiao Yan and Xiao Fan fought with weapons and flames after testing each other hand to hand, and their green fire spirits were still battling when the chapter ended.

• Xiao Xun'er conceded to Xiao Yan and wished him and Xiao Fan good luck.
• Xiao Yan and Xiao Fan rushed onto the stage and began a hand-to-hand fight without using Dou Qi.
• Xiao Yan and Xiao Fan unleashed their Da Dou Shi strength and fought with the Xuan Heavy Ruler and Thousand-Flame Spear.
• Xiao Yan and Xiao Fan's green crane and green snake fire spirits clashed, with the crane striking the snake before being driven back by its tail.

Xiao Yan asked Xiao Fan to use his strongest attack, and Xiao Fan fused the green lotus core flame with the bone spirit cold flame into a Fire Lotus. Their attacks collided in a massive explosion that obscured the stage, leaving the crowd waiting to see what happened to them.

• Xiao Yan urged Xiao Fan to show his strongest attack, and Xiao Fan warned him before agreeing.
• Xiao Yan charged his Xuan Heavy Ruler while Xiao Fan began merging the green lotus core flame and bone spirit cold flame.
• Elder Huo urged Hu Gan to stop the match, but Hu Gan and the other elders stayed ready to intervene and allowed it to continue.
• Xiao Fan formed a green-and-white Fire Lotus and hurled it at Xiao Yan, who countered with Flame Splitting Wave Ruler.
• The attacks collided in a powerful explosion, and Hu Gan and the yellow-robed elderly man rushed to the stage as the blast obscured Xiao Fan and Xiao Yan.

Xiao Fan recovered from his tournament-winning battle, claimed his system rewards, and mastered the Golden Eyes Dou Technique. Three days later, Hu Gan led the top five students to the Library Pavilion, where Xiao Fan recognized the spatial barrier guarding its entrance.

• Hu Gan announced Xiao Fan as the tournament champion and said the top five could enter the Dou Technique Pavilion after three days.
• Xiao Fan claimed his rewards, advancing to an Eight-Star Great Dou Master and fifth-tier Alchemist, and learned Golden Eyes.
• Instructor Ruo Lin explained the Library Pavilion visit to Xiao Fan, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Xun'er.
• Hu Gan gathered the top five students and led them through a concealed passage to the Library Pavilion.
• Xiao Fan noticed the spatial barrier around the pavilion and identified it as a Space Lock.

Xiao Fan and Xiao Yan entered the Library Pavilion with their companions after the gray-robed elders opened its Space Lock and explained the rules for obtaining Dou Techniques. Inside, Xiao Fan learned to judge the value of the energy orbs by their aura and spotted one containing an Earth Tier Dou Technique.

• A gray-robed elder recognized Xiao Fan’s unusual constitution and identified Xiao Yan’s green lotus core flame as the nineteenth-ranked heavenly flame.
• The gray-robed elders opened the Space Lock, and Hu Gan led Xiao Fan, Xiao Yan, Xun'er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao into the pavilion’s enclosed grounds.
• The elders explained that students could retrieve Dou Techniques from energy orbs but could take only one orb away.
• The five entered the pavilion and found a hall where energy orbs shot from a massive barrier; Xiao Fan caught a High-grade Black Tier technique called Profound Thunder Art.
• After catching mostly low-tier techniques and medicinal ingredients, Xiao Fan advised the others to sense each orb’s energy, then spotted a blue orb containing an Earth Tier Dou Technique.

Xiao Fan and the others searched the Library Pavilion for Dou Techniques and other treasures. Xiao Yan finally obtained the Sound Wave Dou Technique he needed with Xun’er's help, and the group left as their allotted time ended.

• Xiao Fan obtained the Earth Tier intermediate Shadow Prison technique, while Xiao Yan found the Earth Tier low-grade Ninefold Phoenix Flame Art and gave it to Xun’er.
• Xiao Yan asked Xiao Fan and Xun’er to help him find a Sound Wave Dou Technique, while Hu Jia and Wu Hao each found an item they wanted.
• With time running short, Xiao Fan found a promising Sound Wave Dou Technique but was repelled when he tried to retrieve it, and Xiao Yan also failed to get it out.
• Xun’er easily retrieved the high Profound Tier Lion-Tiger Shattering Gold Chant and handed it to Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Fan led Xiao Yan, Xun’er, Hu Jia, and Wu Hao out of the Library Pavilion as the room darkened.

After leaving the Library Pavilion, Xiao Fan and the others prepared to enter the Inner Academy, and Xiao Fan began learning the Earth Tier Dou Technique Shadow Prison. Two days later, he had managed to form a shadow cage as Xiao Yan practiced the Lion-Tiger Shattering Gold Chant, and the brothers were summoned to depart.

• Xiao Fan and the others left the Library Pavilion, and Hu Gan gave them two days to rest before entering the Inner Academy.
• Xiao Fan examined Shadow Prison, an intermediate Earth Tier Dou Technique that created a domain to boost his speed and trap opponents.
• Xiao Yan practiced the Lion-Tiger Shattering Gold Chant with Yao Lao’s Ice Spirit Throat-Protecting Liquid while Xiao Fan trained nearby.
• Xiao Fan formed a shadow cage with Shadow Prison, impressing Xiao Yan with how quickly he had learned the technique.
• A figure in blue-green arrived and told Xiao Yan and Xiao Fan it was time to head to the Inner Academy.

Xiao Fan and the other new students traveled through a hidden gate to the Inner Academy, where Elder Su explained that they would have to cross a forest while veteran students hunted them for their Fire Energy. Xiao Fan received missions to reach the Inner Academy first and collect as much Fire Energy as possible.

• Hu Gan led Xiao Fan, Xiao Yan, and the other new students aboard Griffins and escorted them through the mountains toward the Inner Academy.
• Hu Gan opened a concealed Silver Gate, and the students passed through to meet Elder Su, Elder Qing, and Inner Academy students.
• Elder Su gave each newcomer a black crystal card containing five units of Fire Energy and explained that it served as currency in the Inner Academy.
• Elder Su announced the Fire Energy Hunting Competition, in which the new students had to cross a forest while Inner Academy students tried to seize their Fire Energy.
• Xiao Fan received missions to reach the Inner Academy first and obtain as much Fire Energy as possible.

Xiao Fan and his companions decided to rob senior students for Fire Energy during the forest trial. After ambushing a group, they took most of its leader’s Fire Energy and obtained a map and information about life in the Inner Academy.

• Xiao Fan persuaded Xiao Yan, Hu Jia, and the others to form a team and rob senior students for Fire Energy.
• Elder Su and Hu Gan overheard the plan, and Hu Gan predicted that the group would surprise them.
• Xiao Fan’s group watched senior students strip Fire Energy from freshmen, then ambushed the seniors as they rested.
• Xiao Fan forced the seniors’ leader to surrender his Fire Crystal Card and transferred 46 of his 53 points to his own card.
• Xiao Fan’s group subdued the other seniors, collected a map, and questioned the leader about Fire Energy and the Inner Academy’s Strong Ranking.

Xiao Fan’s group found Yue Yao and her injured teammates under attack, but their own poor coordination kept them from defeating the Inner Academy students. After the opponents withdrew, Xiao Fan took Yue Yao’s group’s Fire Energy for safekeeping and led his companions deeper into the forest, leaving Yue Yao watching Xiao Xun’er with envy.

• Xiao Fan’s group followed signs of a recent camp and discovered Yue Yao and her two injured teammates fighting five Inner Academy students.
• Xiao Fan led his companions out of hiding after the black-clad captain detected them, and Yue Yao warned them about the opponents’ abilities.
• Xiao Fan’s team struggled against the Inner Academy students’ teamwork, then withdrew when neither side could gain the advantage.
• Xiao Fan moved his group and Yue Yao’s teammates to a safer place, where he transferred their Fire Energy to his card and gave them a forest map.
• Xiao Xun’er exchanged a faint glance with Yue Yao before Xiao Fan’s group left, and Yue Yao whispered that she envied her.