Chapter Summaries

After unleashing an uncontrolled Heaven-Rank Dou Technique that devastated the desert, Chen Xuan negotiated Jia Xingtian’s safe return in exchange for the Snake-People Tribe’s passage out of the Jia Ma Empire and eight Dou Ling Pills. The tribe planned to relocate to the Black-Corner Region within ten years.

• Chen Xuan found Jia Xingtian badly wounded but alive after the energy blast and warned him that he could still kill him.
• Jia Xingtian asked what Chen Xuan wanted, and Chen Xuan proposed cooperation instead of claiming the throne.
• Chen Xuan told Jia Xingtian that the Snake-People Tribe planned to leave the Jia Ma Empire for the Black-Corner Region and requested unobstructed passage through its cities.
• Jia Xingtian agreed to grant passage, and Chen Xuan said the tribe would relocate within ten years.
• Chen Xuan demanded eight Dou Ling Pills as compensation for Jia Xingtian trespassing in Snake-People territory, and Jia Xingtian reluctantly agreed to provide them.

Chen Xuan explained why he had spared Jia Xingtian, while Queen Medusa revealed that she had been watching and feeling everything he experienced. They reached an uneasy understanding about his choices and his dangerous Dou Technique, leaving Chen Xuan to wonder how much his influence had changed Medusa.

• Queen Medusa questioned Chen Xuan about sparing Jia Xingtian, and he argued that cooperating with the Jia Ma Imperial Family benefited the Snake-People Tribe's migration.
• Queen Medusa acknowledged Chen Xuan's effectiveness and called him a devious human, privately resenting how much he had accomplished.
• Chen Xuan asked the system how Queen Medusa could perceive the outside world, and it explained that their senses were shared through the Symbiosis System.
• Queen Medusa warned Chen Xuan not to use the dangerous Heavenly Dao Halberd Technique again unless he faced a desperate situation.
• Chen Xuan reassured Queen Medusa that the battle's outcome had been an accident, and she fell silent after accepting his explanation.

Chen Xuan told Queen Medusa that Yue Mei had found signs of the Green Lotus Core Flame in the Tagor Desert and warned her that evolving with it could awaken her companion soul. Queen Medusa remained determined to devour the flame and reach Dou Zong so the Snake-People Tribe could relocate safely to the Black-Corner Region.

• Chen Xuan told Queen Medusa that Yue Mei had reported green firelight and intense heat deep in the Tagor Desert, which he suspected came from the Green Lotus Core Flame.
• Chen Xuan explained that the heavenly flame could help Queen Medusa evolve her bloodline into a Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, while warning that devouring it could be deadly.
• Queen Medusa accepted the risk, hoping to reach Dou Zong and strengthen the Snake-People Tribe’s prospects in the Black-Corner Region.
• Chen Xuan warned that Queen Medusa’s evolution could awaken the Purple Nether Flame Snake companion soul, but Queen Medusa believed it could not overpower her and Chen Xuan.
• Queen Medusa said the companion soul could be separated, and Chen Xuan suggested it might become a powerful helper for the Snake-People Tribe.
• Queen Medusa set aside the companion soul question and focused on finding and devouring the Green Lotus Core Flame to raise her strength.

After three years of cultivation, Chen Xuan and Queen Medusa had reached the late Nine-Star Dou Emperor stage, while Chen Xuan also became a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master. He struggled to refine a peak fourth-grade Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill, and Queen Medusa urged him to rest before he exhausted himself.

• Chen Xuan and Queen Medusa spent three years in seclusion and advanced to the late Nine-Star Dou Emperor stage, preparing for Medusa to eventually devour the Green Lotus Core Flame.
• Chen Xuan mastered the Heavenly Dao Halberd Technique and used the Fire-Refining Yao Dan Method and Snake King Cauldron to become a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Master.
• Chen Xuan attempted to refine a Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill, but nine batches failed and only one set of ingredients remained.
• Queen Medusa warned Chen Xuan that he had nearly exhausted his soul power and told him to take a break.
• Chen Xuan apologized for worrying Queen Medusa but remained determined to improve as an alchemist.

Chen Xuan struggled to refine a Peak Fourth-Grade Pill, and Queen Medusa encouraged him before asking why he was determined to become an alchemist. After he explained how an alchemist could secure the Snake-People Tribe’s future in the Black-Corner Region, Medusa thanked him, but his teasing reply about a communal bath left her angered.

• Chen Xuan worried that becoming a top-tier master alchemist would be far harder after he hit an obstacle with a Peak Fourth-Grade Pill.
• Queen Medusa reassured Chen Xuan, then blurted that he was human after all; he pretended to be hurt before admitting he had only meant to lighten the mood.
• Queen Medusa asked why Chen Xuan pursued alchemy when his cultivation talent could carry him to Dou Zun strength.
• Chen Xuan explained that alchemists could gain powerful allies and help the Snake-People Tribe obtain pills and establish itself in the Black-Corner Region.
• Queen Medusa thanked Chen Xuan, but he asked her to arrange a communal bath and wondered whether the young ladies were pretty, making her expression darken.

Jia Xingtian explained to Jia Ye why the Jia Ma Imperial Family had to give eight Dou Ling Pills to the Snake-People Tribe. He left Jia Ye believing the pills were payment for the tribe to leave the Jia Ma Empire within ten years.

• Jia Ye protested when Jia Xingtian planned to give the Snake-People Tribe eight costly Dou Ling Pills.
• Jia Xingtian revealed that Queen Medusa had gravely injured him three years earlier and that the tribe had five Dou Emperors and eight Dou Wangs.
• Jia Xingtian said Medusa had used a developing technique that might be a Heaven-Rank Dou Technique.
• Jia Xingtian told Jia Ye that the Snake-People Tribe would leave the Jia Ma Empire within ten years in exchange for the pills.
• Jia Ye rejoiced at the bargain, unaware that the pills were also the price of Jia Xingtian's life.

After a month of refining, Chen Xuan successfully made a Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill, bringing him close to becoming a fifth-grade alchemist. The Jia Ma Imperial Family arrived outside the Holy City, and Chen Xuan expected them to bring eight successfully refined Dou Ling Pills.

• The Snake-People Tribe devoted itself to cultivation in preparation for relocating to the Black-Corner Region.
• Chen Xuan carefully combined the ingredients for a Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill while Queen Medusa watched and encouraged him.
• Chen Xuan removed the impurities and successfully refined the peak fourth-grade pill after a month of attempts.
• Queen Medusa celebrated Chen Xuan's success, and he believed he could become a fifth-grade alchemist within half a year to a year.
• Leader Yue Mei told Chen Xuan that the Jia Ma Imperial Family had arrived outside the Holy City, and he ordered her to welcome them inside, expecting them to bring eight Dou Ling Pills.

Jia Xingtian, Jia Ye, and Gu He visited Queen Medusa in the Snake-People Holy City, delivering eight Dou Ling Pills and discussing future cooperation. Gu He revealed that he had heard the Snake-People Tribe discovered a Heavenly Flame, startling Jia Xingtian and Jia Ye.

• Yue Mei led Jia Xingtian, Jia Ye, and Gu He into the Sacred Hall, where Chen Xuan welcomed them.
• Jia Xingtian presented Chen Xuan with eight Dou Ling Pills on behalf of the Jia Ma Empire.
• Jia Ye asked Chen Xuan to open trade with the Jia Ma Empire after the Snake-People Tribe settled in the Black-Corner Region, and Chen Xuan agreed if they gained a foothold there.
• Chen Xuan asked Gu He why he had come, and Gu He said he had heard the Snake-People Tribe had discovered a Heavenly Flame.

Chen Xuan confirmed that the Snake-People Tribe had discovered a Heavenly Flame, but refused Gu He's offer to trade pills for it. After Chen Xuan revealed her alchemy skills, Gu He accepted that she had good reason to keep the flame, while the others reassessed the Snake-People Tribe's growing strength.

• Chen Xuan confirmed that the Snake-People Tribe had found a Heavenly Flame in the Tagor Desert.
• Gu He offered a Transformation Pill and four Emperor's Extreme Pills for the Heavenly Flame, then raised his offer to five Emperor's Extreme Pills when Chen Xuan refused.
• Queen Medusa suggested killing Gu He and taking the pills, and Chen Xuan considered the idea.
• Chen Xuan showed a tangible flame and revealed the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill she had just refined.
• Gu He recognized Chen Xuan as a peak fourth-grade Alchemist and gave up on the trade, while Jia Xingtian, Jia Ye, and the Snake-People Tribe elders reacted to her potential.

Chen Xuan revealed that Medusa was nearing fifth-tier Alchemist status, prompting Jia Xingtian and Jia Ye to seek closer ties with the Snake-People Tribe while Gu He abandoned his hopes of obtaining the heavenly flame. Back in the Sacred Hall, Chen Xuan ordered four Snake-People leaders to capture Gu He so he could bring the sixth-tier Alchemist into his service.

• Jia Xingtian and Jia Ye left the Snake-People Holy City and agreed to befriend the tribe, offering two more Dou Ling Pills as an investment.
• Gu He lamented that he had failed to obtain the heavenly flame and decided he could not take it from Medusa by force.
• Chen Xuan received congratulations from the Snake-People Tribe's elders and chiefs, then announced that he wanted someone captured.
• Chen Xuan ordered Ji She, Ji Xuan, Yue Mei, and Mo Bass to capture Gu He and bring him back alive.
• Chen Xuan revealed that he intended to recruit Gu He by offering him overwhelming benefits.

Snake Ji, Ji Xuan, Yue Mei, and Mo Bass pursued Pill King Gu He across the Tagor Desert after the Snake-People Tribe’s queen ordered them to bring him back. They caught him before he could reach a human city, and Gu He feared the tribe intended to take his pills and imprison him.

• Snake Ji tracked Gu He’s trail across the desert, but he concealed his presence with a Concealment Pill and slipped away while the four pursuers searched in separate directions.
• Gu He headed for the nearest human city, hoping its crowds would help him escape, but Snake Ji and the others discovered his trick and followed his trail.
• The four Snake-People Tribe experts caught up with Gu He and surrounded him, insisting that he return to meet their queen.
• Gu He offered them the Transformation Pill and the Emperor’s Extreme Pill if they would let him go, but Snake Ji refused and warned that they would use force if he resisted.
• Realizing he could not escape the two Dou Emperors and two Dou Wangs, Gu He regretted coming to the Snake-People Tribe.

Chen Xuan brought Pill King Gu He to the Snake-People Holy City and offered him a chance to join the tribe. Gu He rejected the offer until Chen Xuan revealed ninth-rank Alchemist notes, leaving him overwhelmed with excitement.

• Great Elder Snake Ji sealed Gu He's strength, reducing him from Dou Wang to Da Dou Shi, and took him to the Snake-People Holy City.
• Snake Ji and her companions brought Gu He to Chen Xuan in the Sacred Hall.
• Chen Xuan restored Gu He's strength and asked him to join the Snake-People Tribe, but Gu He refused.
• Chen Xuan claimed he had become a fourth-rank Alchemist in two years and showed Gu He a Beast-Skin Scroll.
• Gu He recognized the scroll as extraordinary alchemy notes, and Chen Xuan revealed they belonged to a ninth-rank Alchemist and would be Gu He's if he joined the tribe.

Gu He accepted Chen Xuan’s offer to join the Snake-People Tribe in exchange for access to a Ninth-Grade Alchemist’s Pill Refining Insights. Chen Xuan welcomed him as an honored guest equal in status to the Eight Leaders, and Gu He revealed an impressive store of pills that showed how dangerous he could be.

• Chen Xuan told Gu He that the Beast-Skin Scroll held a Ninth-Grade Alchemist’s insights and promised the remaining knowledge if Gu He joined the Snake-People Tribe.
• Gu He weighed the offer against losing his freedom, then knelt before Chen Xuan and agreed to join.
• Chen Xuan welcomed Gu He and granted him honored-guest status equal to the Eight Leaders, which the elders and leaders accepted.
• Gu He thanked Chen Xuan and presented a collection of pills from his Storage Ring to benefit the tribe.
• Great Elder Snake Ji spotted a Burning Qi Pill among the offerings, and the tribe’s experts realized Gu He’s pills could make him formidable in battle.

Chen Xuan distributed Gu He's pills and pill-refining insights among the Snake-People Tribe, strengthening its elders and leaders. He gave Yue Mei the Transformation Pill, and she emerged from the transformation in human form.

• Chen Xuan teased Queen Medusa about her age, then accepted most of Gu He's pills and gave Gu He seventh-grade pill-refining insights.
• Chen Xuan gave one Emperor's Extreme Pill to each of the Four Elders and one Dou Ling Pill to each of the Eight Leaders.
• On Queen Medusa's advice, Chen Xuan chose Yue Mei to receive the Transformation Pill because of her strength and talent.
• Yue Mei swallowed the Transformation Pill and transformed into a human woman in a long blue dress.

Chen Xuan and Queen Medusa discussed strengthening the Snake-People Tribe and identified Hai Bodong and the heavenly flame map fragment he stole as future targets. They decided to focus first on reaching Peak Dou Emperor and devouring the Green Lotus Core Flame.

• Queen Medusa and Chen Xuan noted that they were nearing Peak Dou Emperor and that pills had strengthened the tribe’s leaders and elders.
• Chen Xuan said the tribe’s next priority was raising its top experts and revealed that Hai Bodong was in the Tagor Desert, weakened to Dou Ling by Queen Medusa’s seal.
• Queen Medusa grew furious over Hai Bodong’s role in her younger sister’s death and his theft of her map fragment.
• Chen Xuan revealed that the fragment mapped a heavenly flame, the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame, and said Hai Bodong also had something the tribe needed.
• Chen Xuan and Queen Medusa agreed to first reach Peak Dou Emperor and devour the Green Lotus Core Flame before dealing with Hai Bodong.

Chen Xuan reflected on his physical strength and his plan to cultivate his body, soul, and Dou Qi together. Queen Medusa questioned where he came from, and he left her with only a promise that she would learn the truth someday.

• Chen Xuan assessed his body as strong enough to contend with Dou Emperor-level magical beasts and resolved to develop his body, soul, and Dou Qi together.
• Queen Medusa teased Chen Xuan for admiring his own strength, and he boasted about his looks before she mocked his past as a single man.
• Queen Medusa asked where Chen Xuan came from, citing his unusual beliefs, knowledge, abilities, and control over her body.
• Chen Xuan smiled and called himself an ordinary person, then told Queen Medusa she would understand his origins in the future.

Queen Medusa worried that Chen Xuan might leave her, while Chen Xuan reflected on his past and began the monthly sign-in. He received the Eight Gates technique and considered how the Meteor Tear could offset its physical harm, giving him a way to fight stronger opponents.

• Queen Medusa wondered whether Chen Xuan would leave her, then resolved that she would not let him go.
• Chen Xuan received the system's monthly sign-in prompt and reflected on the mixed rewards he had collected over three years.
• Chen Xuan began the sign-in and received the Eight Gates, a technique that temporarily unlocked the body's power.
• Chen Xuan recalled the Eight Gates from Naruto and realized he might adapt it to the dou qi world.
• Chen Xuan concluded that the Meteor Tear's restorative power could help him withstand the technique's side effects and challenge stronger opponents.

After three months studying Chen Xuan’s alchemy insights, Gu He grew more accepting of serving the Snake-People Tribe and admired Queen Medusa’s leadership. Chen Xuan summoned Gu He to ask about the Blood Lotus Pill, and Gu He realized she planned to absorb a Heavenly Flame.

• Gu He credited a Ninth-Grade Alchemy Master's insights with greatly improving his alchemy skills over three months.
• Gu He learned to appreciate the Snake-People Tribe's strength and unity and came to believe joining them was the right choice.
• Yue Mei thanked Gu He for the Transformation Pill and relayed Queen Medusa's summons.
• Chen Xuan revealed her Peak Dou Emperor strength when she welcomed Yue Mei and Gu He into the Sacred Hall.
• Chen Xuan asked Gu He about the Blood Lotus Pill, and Gu He asked whether she intended to absorb a Heavenly Flame.

Chen Xuan prepared to refine the green lotus core flame and traveled with Yue Mei and Gu He to Black Rock City to obtain the missing ice spirit cold spring. At the city gates, Chen Xuan unleashed a terrifying red aura and ordered everyone to their knees, leaving Gu He and Yue Mei stunned by her sudden transformation.

• Chen Xuan promised Gu He a chance to obtain a heavenly flame and learned that Gute in Black Rock City possessed the ice spirit cold spring needed to refine one.
• Chen Xuan, Yue Mei, and Gu He prepared to take the ice spirit cold spring from Gute and flew to Black Rock City.
• The trio arrived near evening and headed for the city gates, where guards and bystanders stared at the Snake-People Tribe.
• Chen Xuan released a wave of red Dou Qi that forced everyone within a hundred meters to their knees.
• Chen Xuan ordered Yue Mei and Gu He to continue, while they noticed her aura and appearance had changed and Gu He wondered who she had become.

Queen Medusa and Gu He went to Black Rock City's Alchemist Guild to find Gute. Gu He revealed that he had joined the Snake-People Tribe, and Frank agreed to lead the group to Gute.

• Gu He led Queen Medusa and Yue Mei to the Alchemist Guild, where Queen Medusa's aura frightened the people outside.
• Gu He met Frank and Otto, then Queen Medusa demanded to know where Gute was.
• Gu He told Frank and Otto that he had joined the Snake-People Tribe, leaving them stunned.
• Frank agreed to take Queen Medusa and her companions to Gute.