Chapter Summaries

Xiao Yan refused Gu Yuan’s demand that he help the Gu Clan seize the Ancient Emperor’s Inheritance, despite Gu Yuan tying Xiao Xun’er’s future to his cooperation. After learning Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun’er could both be recognized by the inheritance, Xiao Tian Ce welcomed the prospect of an entertaining contest.

• In Heaven Beyond, Xiao Tian Ce explained that Gu Yuan’s scheme came from the Gu Clan’s weakness and said he was not worried about Xiao Yan’s safety.
• Gu Yuan told Xiao Yan that Xiao Tian Ce had become a Dou Di, and Xiao Yan reassured Xiao Xun’er that he would help the Gu Clan where he could but would not agree to Gu Yuan’s plan.
• Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun’er warned Gu Yuan that challenging the Xiao Clan could destroy the Gu Clan, but Gu Yuan remained resolved and threatened that Xiao Yan would have to help if he wanted to be with Xun’er.
• After receiving Gu Yue’s message about Xiao Qing’s Heavenly Tomb trial, Gu Yuan urged Xiao Yan to secretly help the Gu Clan obtain the Ancient Emperor’s Inheritance.
• Xiao Tian Ce predicted that Xiao Yan would not betray the Xiao Clan, while Ling’er revealed that both Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun’er could gain the inheritance’s acknowledgment.

Xiao Yan rejected Gu Yuan’s demand that he help the Gu Clan obtain the ancient emperor’s inheritance, then agreed to a compromise that would make him the Gu Clan’s Vice Clan Chief if he won its recognition. Xiao Tian Ce remained unsure whether Xiao Yan should receive the inheritance, while Ling Yun and Huang Min grew closer as they discussed who should inherit the emperor’s origin.

• Xiao Tian Ce admitted that he admired Xiao Xun'er but said he would kill Xiao Yan if he betrayed the Xiao Clan, despite all the resources it had given him.
• Xiao Yan refused to betray the Xiao Clan for the Gu Clan and said he would compete for the ancient emperor’s inheritance himself while protecting the Gu Clan if he became a Dou Di.
• Gu Yuan offered Xiao Yan a compromise: he would help the Gu Clan first, and if he won the inheritance’s recognition, he would become Vice Clan Chief and help Xun'er control the clan.
• Xiao Yan accepted Gu Yuan’s terms, then declined Xiao Xun'er's invitation to visit the Ancient Realm and said he would return to Starfall Pavilion and the Pill Tower before the Heavenly Tomb trial.
• Xiao Tian Ce considered withholding the inheritance from Xiao Yan and decided to delay the choice, while Ling'er suggested sealing the Third Layer of the Heavenly Tomb with a Spiritual Array.
• In the Beast Region, Ling Yun gave Zi Yan pills and refused to take the emperor’s origin, urging Huang Min to prepare to advance to Dou Di; Huang Min leaned against him and acknowledged his feelings.

Xiao Yan discussed his promise to help the Gu Clan pursue the ancient emperor’s inheritance with Yao Chen, who warned him never to oppose the Xiao Clan. In Heaven Beyond, Medusa asked Xiao Tian Ce to take her to the Great Thousand World, and Heavenly Net returned with the Hun Clan’s resources after wiping it out.

• Huang Min and Ling Yun traveled with Zi Yan to search for ancient secret realms after Huang Min confirmed Ling Yun would leave the Dou Qi Continent with her.
• Xiao Yan told Yao Chen about his agreement with Gu Yuan, and Yao Chen urged him to remain loyal to the Xiao Clan.
• Xiao Yan resolved to help the Gu Clan seek recognition of the ancient emperor’s inheritance while pursuing his own chance to become a Dou Di.
• Medusa visited Xiao Tian Ce, praised his achievement, and asked him to take her to the Great Thousand World, offering to serve as his maid; he agreed to bring her without making her a maid.
• Heavenly Net returned to Xiao Tian Ce after destroying the Hun Clan and handed over its cultivation resources, methods, and combat skills.

Heavenly Net reported that the Hun Clan had been eliminated, while Medusa learned that Xiao Tian Ce would take her to the Great Thousand World and decided to prepare by improving her strength. Xiao Qing planned a Heavenly Tomb trial to punish the Gu Clan, and Heavenly Net recommended Ya Fei as a possible wife for the Xiao Clan Chief.

• Heavenly Net told Xiao Tian Ce that he had wiped out the Hun Clan without encountering anything unusual, and Xiao Tian Ce asked him to stay in Heaven Beyond for an upcoming spectacle.
• Huang Jiuji advised Medusa to keep visiting Xiao Tian Ce and grow stronger before traveling to the Great Thousand World; Medusa asked him to secure her a place in the Heavenly Tomb trial.
• Xiao Qing secured the Xiao Clan's approval for a Heavenly Tomb trial and arranged invitations for the Emperor Clans and Central Plains powers.
• Heavenly Net learned that Gu Dao had provoked Xiao Qing by turning Gu Yue against her, and he urged Xiao Qing to strike the Gu Clan decisively during the trial.
• When Xiao Qing admitted she had no candidate for the Xiao Clan Chief's wife, Heavenly Net recommended Ya Fei for her beauty, talent, intelligence, and management skills.

The Xiao Clan’s invitation to the Heavenly Tomb Trial stirred concern among the Pill Tower, Starfall Pavilion, and Flower Sect, as participants could pursue the ancient emperor’s inheritance under a deadly life-and-death waiver. Xiao Yan resolved to enter despite the danger, while Yao Chen agreed to join the Pill Gathering; the chapter left Nalan Yanran excited to visit Heaven Beyond and hoping to see the Xiao Clan senior who had saved her.

• Heavenly Net recommended Ya Fei as a suitable candidate to become Xiao Qing’s wife, and Xiao Qing agreed to consider it after the trial.
• Xuan Kongzi, Xuan Yi, and Tian Leizi decided the Pill Tower would send a few disciples to the Heavenly Tomb Trial and focus on the Pill Gathering, where Xuan Kongzi hoped to challenge Yao Chen.
• Xiao Yan and Yao Chen discussed the invitation’s strength limit, the enticing ancient emperor’s inheritance, and the possibility that the trial was a plot against the Emperor Clans.
• Xiao Yan resolved to enter the trial, and Yao Chen agreed to attend the Pill Gathering to confront the Yao Clan.
• Granny Golden Flower decided the Flower Sect would send four elders and twenty disciples, including Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran, to Heaven Beyond.
• Nalan Yanran excitedly asked Yun Yun whether they would see the Xiao Clan senior who had saved them.

Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran discussed the Xiao Clan senior who had saved them and wondered whether Xiao Yan belonged to the Xiao Clan. In the Yao Clan, Yao Dan declined the Heavenly Tomb trial, while Ling Hua explained that he had accepted the Spirit Clan’s destruction and now supported the Xiao Clan; the chapter ended with both men waiting to see who would fall into the Xiao Clan’s trap.

• Yun Yun told Nalan Yanran that their rescuer was Xiao Tian Ce, the first Dou Di in millions of years, and cautioned her not to expect him to remember them.
• Yun Yun reasoned that Xiao Yan was probably a member of the Xiao Clan because he had carried a Heavenly Mechanism Token, and Nalan Yanran said she still wanted to thank their rescuer.
• Yao Dan ordered Yao Wangui to prepare for the Pill Gathering and decided that the Yao Clan would skip the Heavenly Tomb trial and the ancient emperor’s inheritance.
• Ling Hua told Yao Dan that he had abandoned his ambitions for the Spirit Clan and was content to serve the Xiao Clan as Deputy Tower Master of the Heavenly Secret Tower.
• Yao Dan suspected the Heavenly Tomb trial was bait meant to draw the Xiao Clan’s enemies out, and Ling Hua hinted that the Gu Clan would be among the targets.

Yao Dan welcomed the prospect of the Gu and Lei Clans being weakened, while Gu Yuan prepared the Gu Clan to enter the Xiao Clan’s Heavenly Tomb trial despite recognizing it as a trap. He revealed his resolve to risk everything for the Ancient Emperor’s Inheritance and asked Xiao Xun’er to accept the consequences if the Gu Clan failed.

• Yao Dan and Ling Hua discussed how the Heavenly Tomb trial could weaken the Gu and Lei Clans and help the Yao Clan rise in rank.
• Gu Yuan summoned the Gu Clan’s elders and ordered eligible clansmen to enter the Heavenly Tomb trial, offering succession and cultivation rewards to whoever gained the Ancient Emperor’s Inheritance.
• Xiao Xun’er warned Gu Yuan that the trial was a trap, but he explained that the Gu Clan had to take the risk to pursue a chance at becoming Dou Di.
• Gu Yuan told Xiao Xun’er to stay with Xiao Yan and not seek revenge if the Gu Clan’s operation failed, then shared his regret over their time apart.
• Gu Yuan declared that he would pay any price to advance to Dou Di, while Xiao Xun’er embraced him and pleaded for him to survive.

Lei Ying concluded that the Xiao Clan’s Heavenly Tomb Trial was likely meant to target the Gu Clan, and he ordered the Lei Clan to stay close to the Xiao Clan and prepare to support it. At the Heavenly Secret Tower, Ya Fei noticed the Gu Clan’s unusually large turnout and agreed to travel with Xiao Yan and Yao Chen to Heaven Beyond, while Yao Chen privately grew suspicious of her assignment.

• Lei Ying and the Lei Clan elders agreed to attend the Heavenly Tomb Trial without competing for the Ancient Emperor’s Inheritance, and Lei Ying suspected the Xiao Clan planned to deal with the Gu Clan.
• Mang Tianchi suggested that a conflict with the Gu Clan could leave the Xiao Clan Chief’s wife’s position vacant, and Lei Ying ordered the Lei Clan to prepare to support the Xiao Clan if the clans became enemies.
• Ya Fei noticed that the Gu Clan had mobilized far more experts than the other factions and wondered whether the Heavenly Tomb Trial had been arranged to target it.
• Xiao Yan and Yao Chen visited Ya Fei at the Heavenly Secret Tower, and she agreed to take them to Heaven Beyond the next day.
• Yao Chen appeared surprised when Ya Fei said she had been asked to oversee guest reception, but he withheld his suspicions and Ya Fei offered to bring Xiao Yu and Xiao Mei to see Xiao Yan.

Yao Chen warned Xiao Yan that Ya Fei’s appointment and the timing of the Heavenly Tomb Trial suggested the Xiao Clan might be targeting the Gu Clan. As Xiao Yan prepared for the trial, he worried about Xun’er and Yao Chen, and agreed to keep his distance from Ya Fei.

• Xiao Yan asked Yao Chen why Ya Fei had been assigned to receive guests, and Yao Chen deduced that the Xiao Clan might be preparing to remove Gu Yue from her position.
• Yao Chen suspected the Heavenly Tomb Trial had been arranged to target the Gu Clan and feared the Xiao Clan knew about Xiao Yan’s agreement with Gu Yuan.
• Xiao Yan worried that the Xiao Clan might attack the Gu Clan and urged Yao Chen to stay away from the trial because the Yao Clan could also threaten him.
• Yao Chen refused to abandon Xiao Yan and warned him to keep his distance from Ya Fei to avoid making enemies within the Xiao Clan.
• Xiao Yan agreed to avoid Ya Fei when he reached Heaven Beyond.

Xiao Qing secured a Ninth-Level Spiritual Array for the Ancient Emperor's inheritance and discussed making Ya Fei her future wife with Xiao Tian Ce. Medusa courted Xiao Tian Ce with food and a dance, and he gave her the name Feng Jinghong, though he remained wary of her effect on him.

• Xiao Qing asked Xiao Tian Ce for a Spiritual Array to seal the Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion, and he gave her a Ninth-Level Array stored in a Jade Pendant.
• Xiao Qing told Xiao Tian Ce that she wanted Ya Fei to become her wife and planned to let her oversee guest reception during the Heavenly Tomb Trial.
• Xiao Tian Ce advised Xiao Qing to ask Ya Fei's opinion before arranging a marriage and to protect her from Gu Yue with Xiao Teng and Xiao Wu.
• Medusa visited Xiao Tian Ce with homemade food, confessed that seeing him made her happy, and deliberately flirted with him.
• Medusa danced for Xiao Tian Ce, who praised her performance and named her Feng Jinghong.

Medusa left Xiao Tian Ce after he invited her to the Heavenly Tomb Trial, while Xiao Yan, Xiao Yi Xian, Yao Chen, and Ya Fei traveled to Heaven Beyond for the trial. After arriving, Xiao Yan sensed dangerous new defenses, and Gu Yue grew furious that Ya Fei had been chosen to oversee the guests before she began to fear what the decision might mean.

• Xiao Tian Ce teased Medusa about her feelings, declined to discuss relationships, and invited her to join the Heavenly Tomb Trial.
• Xiao Yan, Xiao Yi Xian, Yao Chen, and Ya Fei used the Teleportation Array to reach Heaven Beyond, where they encountered Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran among the gathered guests.
• Ya Fei signaled the Heavenly Secret Tower, and Xiao Wu and Xiao Teng arrived with the Dragon Soaring Army to escort her group inside.
• During the journey, Xiao Yan and Yao Chen sensed stronger hidden defenses in the Spatial Passage, and Yao Chen advised Xiao Yan to seek help from Xiao Xian and Xiao De if danger arose.
• Xiao Yan, Xiao Yi Xian, and Yao Chen headed toward Xiao Zhan's residence while Ya Fei went with Xiao Wu and Xiao Teng to meet the Clan Chief.
• Gu Yue learned that Ya Fei had been appointed to oversee the guests, shattered her teacup in anger, and began trembling as she wondered whether the choice signaled something worse.

Gu Yue grew furious and anxious as Xiao Qing met with Ya Fei, whom Xiao Tian Ce had selected to become Xiao Qing’s wife. Ya Fei accepted the proposal and received a Nine Revolutions Bodhi Pill, while the Heavenly Tomb Trial preparations continued.

• Gu Yue ordered her maid out and smashed valuable ornaments after learning what she feared might happen.
• Xiao Qing asked Ya Fei to consider becoming the Xiao Clan Chief’s wife, assuring her that refusal would not affect her position as Deputy Tower Master.
• Ya Fei asked to meet Xiao Tian Ce, and Xiao Qing accompanied her to Heavenly Strategy Manor.
• Xiao Tian Ce explained why he considered Ya Fei a suitable partner for Xiao Qing and assured her that nobody would force her to accept.
• Ya Fei agreed to marry Xiao Qing, and Xiao Tian Ce gave her a Nine Revolutions Bodhi Pill that could raise her strength to the Dou Sheng level.

Gu Yue tried to preserve her place beside Xiao Qing, but his decision to replace her with Ya Fei became unmistakable. Meanwhile, Xiao Tian Ce worried that the coming Heavenly Tomb Trial could destroy the Gu Clan and alter the future of Xiao Yan and the Great Thousand World.

• Gu Yue regretted helping the Gu Clan at the Xiao Clan’s expense, then waited for Xiao Qing and Ya Fei outside Heavenly Strategy Manor.
• Gu Yue greeted Ya Fei and asked to speak with her privately, but Xiao Qing and Ya Fei both declined.
• When Gu Yue angrily challenged Ya Fei’s refusal, Xiao Qing unleashed his aura, and Gu Yue apologized after realizing Xiao Tian Ce was watching.
• Xiao Qing took Ya Fei away, while Gu Yue stayed behind and dared not act under Xiao Tian Ce’s gaze.
• Ling'er asked why Xiao Tian Ce seemed unsettled, and he explained his fears about the Heavenly Tomb Trial, the Gu Clan, Xiao Xuan, and the future of Xiao Yan and the Great Thousand World.

Xiao Yan worried that the Heavenly Tomb Trial was a trap and planned to claim the Ancient Emperor's Inheritance, while Yao Chen urged him to speak with Xiao Xun'er and agreed to leave Heaven Beyond after the Pill Gathering. The trial began the next day as powers arrived, and Xiao Yan noticed that Xuan Kongzi and the others had joined the Flower Sect.

• Xiao Yan kept his worries about opposing the Xiao Clan from Xiao Zhan, then failed to meet Xiao Xian, Xiao De, and Xiao Xuan, who were all occupied with cultivation.
• Xiao Yan told Yao Chen that the Gu Clan would arrive for the Heavenly Tomb Trial and feared the Xiao Clan would never let the Ancient Emperor's Inheritance pass to another Emperor Clan.
• Yao Chen advised Xiao Yan to speak honestly with Xiao Xun'er, and both men admitted they felt a foreboding that something terrible would happen.
• Xiao Yan said he would claim the inheritance unless Xun'er obtained it, while Yao Chen insisted on attending the Pill Gathering before leaving Heaven Beyond.
• The next morning, Central Plains powers arrived for the trial, and Xiao Yan saw that Xuan Kongzi and the others had joined the Flower Sect.

The Xiao Clan hosted the Emperor Clans and other powers for the Heavenly Tomb Trial, opening the event with a Pill Gathering. As the alchemists began competing, Gu Yuan learned Xiao Qing possessed a portion of the Emperor's Origin and eagerly asked her to show it.

• Xiao Yan spotted Yun Yun and Nalan Yanran among the Flower Sect disciples, but the arrival of the Gu, Lei, Yao, and Ancient Void Dragon Clans diverted his attention.
• Xiao Qing welcomed the gathered powers and announced that the Pill Gathering would precede the opening of the Heavenly Tomb.
• Ya Fei explained that alchemists of seventh grade or higher could compete for gifts, and Yao Chen, Xiao Yan, Old Man Shennong, Yao Dan, and other alchemists entered the arena to refine pills.
• Xiao Qing told Gu Yuan that Spirit Gathering Arrays could supply extra Dou Qi for the competitors and revealed that she held a portion of the Emperor's Origin.
• Gu Yuan asked Xiao Qing to show him the Emperor's Origin, and Lei Ying and Zhu Kun joined his request.

Xiao Qing refused Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun’s demands to reveal the Emperor’s Origin, then Xiao Xun’er sought Xiao Tian Ce’s help to spare the Gu Clan. Xiao Tian Ce explained that Gu Yuan’s obsession with becoming a Dou Di made his goal impossible even with the Emperor’s Origin, leaving Xiao Xun’er with no clear way to change her father’s course.

• Xiao Qing rejected Gu Yuan and Zhu Kun’s request to see the Emperor’s Origin and insisted that the Ancient Emperor’s Inheritance belonged to the Xiao Clan and would be offered during the Heavenly Tomb Trial.
• Xiao Xun’er left the Martial Arts Arena and asked Xiao Bieli to let her meet Xiao Tian Ce, who admitted her to the Ninth Layer of the Heavenly Strategy Manor.
• Xiao Xun’er begged Xiao Tian Ce to leave the Gu Clan a path to survival, but he told her that the Gu Clan had chosen its own course and urged her to persuade Gu Yuan to stop.
• Xiao Xun’er told Xiao Tian Ce that Gu Yuan would not listen to her and asked him to help, and he revealed that Gu Yuan’s obsession meant he could not become a Dou Di even with a complete Emperor’s Origin.
• Xiao Tian Ce compared Gu Yuan’s fixation to Xiao Xuan’s and warned Xiao Xun’er that neither man would abandon an obsession merely because someone urged him to.

Xiao Tian Ce forced Xiao Xun'er to choose whether Xiao Yan or she would gain the Ancient Emperor's Inheritance, warning that the Gu Clan faced danger if Xiao Yan received it. Xiao Xun'er chose to claim the inheritance herself, and Xiao Tian Ce challenged her about why she thought he would favor her over Xiao Yan.

• Xiao Tian Ce explained that both Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er could gain recognition from the Ancient Emperor's Inheritance, and laid out the consequences of each choice.
• Xiao Tian Ce revealed that he knew Xiao Yan had promised Gu Yuan to help the Gu Clan obtain the inheritance, and said Xiao Xun'er had to choose between Xiao Yan and her clan.
• Xiao Xun'er realized Xiao Tian Ce had already decided against letting Xiao Yan claim the inheritance and concluded that choosing herself was the only way to protect the Gu Clan.
• Xiao Xun'er told Xiao Tian Ce she would seek the inheritance for her father and the Gu Clan, even if that meant disappointing Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Tian Ce questioned whether Xiao Xun'er understood that Xiao Yan belonged to the Xiao Clan, while his aura made her feel threatened.
• Xiao Xun'er endured Xiao Tian Ce's pressure and said she believed he would not toy with her.

Xiao Tian Ce offered Xiao Xun'er the ancient emperor's inheritance in exchange for the Gu Clan's submission and a thousand years of service in the Great Thousand World. After Gu Yuan learned what had happened, he warned Xiao Xun'er to keep the offer and its Jade Pendant secret from Xiao Yan, leaving her conflicted about what to tell him.

• Xiao Xun'er accepted Xiao Tian Ce's conditions, and he gave her a Jade Pendant that would let the ancient emperor's inheritance sense her during the Heavenly Tomb Trial.
• Xiao Tian Ce told Xiao Xuan he had once intended the inheritance and the nihility devouring flame for Xiao Yan, but Xiao Yan had disappointed him; Xiao Xuan also revealed he expected to attempt a Dou Di breakthrough in about a year.
• Xiao Xun'er told Gu Yuan about her meeting with Xiao Tian Ce, including his offer, his conditions, and his claim that Gu Yuan's obsession would prevent him from becoming a Dou Di.
• Gu Yuan warned Xiao Xun'er not to tell Xiao Yan about the Jade Pendant or the inheritance, since Xiao Tian Ce would not allow Xiao Yan to become a Dou Di.
• Gu Yuan said he would no longer oppose Xiao Xun'er's relationship with Xiao Yan, and Xiao Xun'er agreed to keep the conversation secret for now.

Xiao Tian Ce watched the Pill Gathering and explained high-tier pills to Ling'er as Yao Chen and the Pill Tower's Three Giants used a valuable spiritual-array pendant to withstand black demon lightning. When three Ninth Grade Profound Pills began forming at once and Heaven Beyond lacked enough dou qi to support them all, Old Man Shennong offered to withdraw.

• Xiao Tian Ce shared his alchemy memories with Ling'er while they watched the pill lightning from Heavenly Strategy Manor.
• Yao Chen used Xiao Tian Ce's seventh-level Spiritual Array Jade Pendant to shield himself and the Pill Tower's Three Giants from black demon lightning, upsetting Xiao Qing and angering Xiao Tian Ce.
• Yao Chen told Xuan Kongzi that Xiao Yan had given him three Spiritual Array Jade Pendants, while Xiao Yan focused on finishing his own pill.
• Yao Dan's Ninth Grade Profound Pill began drawing pill rain, and Xiao Yan and Old Man Shennong soon triggered pill rain as well.
• Yao Dan, Xiao Yan, and Old Man Shennong realized Heaven Beyond could support only two Ninth Grade Profound Pills, so Old Man Shennong offered to step aside.

At the Pill Gathering, Xiao Qing supplied enough Dou Qi for Xiao Yan, Yao Dan, and Old Man Shennong to refine Ninth Grade Profound Pills together, and Xiao Tian Ce personally rewarded them. After the others left, Xiao Yan pleaded with Xiao Tian Ce to spare the Gu Clan, accusing him of arranging the Heavenly Tomb Trial to target it.

• Xiao Qing flooded the Martial Arts Arena with Dou Qi, allowing Old Man Shennong to resume refining and all three alchemists to complete Ninth Grade Profound Pills simultaneously.
• Xiao Qing declared Xiao Yan, Yao Dan, and Old Man Shennong joint first-place winners, and Ya Fei announced that the Heavenly Tomb Trial would begin the next morning.
• Ya Fei escorted the three winners to Heavenly Strategy Manor, where Xiao Tian Ce personally awarded each of them a Heaven Rank Low Grade Dou Technique.
• After Yao Dan and Old Man Shennong departed, Xiao Yan knelt before Xiao Tian Ce and pleaded for him to spare the Gu Clan.
• Xiao Yan accused Xiao Tian Ce of holding the Heavenly Tomb Trial specifically to target the Gu Clan, while Xiao Tian Ce pretended he knew nothing about it.