Chapter Summaries

Xiao Yan challenged the Dou Di pressure on Ge Thunder Mountain, repeatedly clashing with its apparition and using the fight to temper himself despite being badly outmatched. After several hundred exchanges, his strength gave out, and he collapsed to rest.

• Xiao Yan formed a soul apparition and attacked the Dou Di apparition, but its lightning arm shattered his soul hand and injured him.
• Xiao Yan unleashed Yellow Springs Heavenly Wrath, but the Dou Di apparition broke through the technique with a ball of lightning.
• Xiao Yan repeatedly rose to challenge the apparition through hundreds of clashes, enduring its attacks as his presence weakened.
• Xiao Yan used the Heaven-Spanning Hand against a lightning dragon summoned by the apparition, but both his soul apparition and his strength were overwhelmed.
• Xiao Yan cupped his hands toward the Dou Di apparition, lay down, and succumbed to deep drowsiness.

Xiao Yan returned to Ancient Wilderness City after two years and reunited with Elder Xuan at the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion. The pavilion prepared to welcome him upstairs, while the city gathered to witness Master Mu execute a Nine-Star Half-Emperor.

• Xiao Yan woke on a mountaintop, checked himself, and flew toward Ancient Wilderness City.
• Elder Luo and Qing Mu sensed Xiao Yan entering the city and were relieved that he had returned alive.
• Xiao Yan found the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion closed, pushed his way inside, and told Elder Xuan he had come to find someone.
• Elder Xuan recognized Xiao Yan, rejoiced at his return, and said Luo Jin had waited two years for this day.
• Elder Xuan led Xiao Yan toward the pavilion's sixth floor, and the doors shut in the faces of curious onlookers.

Xiao Yan learned that Mu Han planned to kill Zhong Li and rushed to Mu Manor despite Luo Jin’s warnings. Mu Han dragged Zhong Li, bloodied and pierced by chains, into the square before the gathered crowd.

• Xiao Yan learned that Mu Han intended to kill Zhong Li and insisted on going to find him.
• Luo Jin offered to accompany Xiao Yan and reveal his identity if Mu Han threatened them, but Xiao Yan refused to rely on that.
• Xiao Yan and Luo Jin headed to Mu Manor in northern Ancient Wilderness City.
• Mu Han emerged from his manor before the watching crowd and dragged a golden cage into the square.
• The crowd saw Zhong Li inside the cage, covered in blood and pierced by rune-engraved chains.

Mu Han attacked Zhong Li, but Gu Li and Chi Lin intervened and tried to rescue him. Mu Han defeated them and threatened to kill all three, until an unfamiliar voice made him react with horror.

• Mu Han attacked Zhong Li with a golden saber, but two beams of light cut it apart.
• Gu Li and Chi Lin confronted Mu Han and fought to take Zhong Li away.
• Mu Han overpowered Gu Li and Chi Lin, striking them down and leaving them gravely injured.
• Mu Han stood atop Zhong Li's cage and challenged anyone to come save the three of them.
• An icy voice mocked Mu Han, and he reacted with horror and disbelief.

Yan Xiao revealed that he had survived the Void Lightning Pool and returned to confront Mu Han, who had attacked him to seize the Emperor Tribulation Pill and everything he possessed. Yan Xiao evaded Mu Han’s strike, and Mu Han was stunned to discover that he had reached the Five-Star Half-Emperor level.

• Mu Han recognized Yan Xiao’s voice, and the crowd erupted as they realized Yan Xiao had survived the Void Lightning Pool.
• Gu Li and Chi Lin heard Yan Xiao and rejoiced that he was still alive.
• Yan Xiao appeared above Mu Han and taunted him about coveting the Emperor Tribulation Pill.
• Mu Han declared that he would take Yan Xiao’s life, the pill, and everything he owned, then launched a claw strike.
• Yan Xiao evaded Mu Han’s attack without using the Great Dao of the Void and noted that Mu Han had reached Peak Late Nine-Star Half-Emperor.
• Mu Han sensed Yan Xiao’s strength and was shocked to learn that he had become a Five-Star Half-Emperor.

Xiao Yan confronted Mu Han and revealed that he had reached the Five-Star Half-Emperor level, while Mu Han attacked with the advantage of his Nine-Star Half-Emperor strength. Xiao Yan summoned the Northern King, whose Nine-Star Half-Emperor power forced Mu Han back and left Luo Jin convinced he would not need to intervene.

• Mu Han questioned Xiao Yan's rapid growth, and Xiao Yan mocked him for believing such progress was impossible.
• Mu Han charged at Xiao Yan, but Xiao Yan evaded his claw strike and appeared elsewhere with his robe slightly torn.
• Mu Han formed several formations and fired golden lightning at Xiao Yan, then caught him with another attack and sent him flying.
• Xiao Yan activated his Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline to block Mu Han's claw strike, retreated with Heavenly Severing Steps, and sent the Northern King against him.
• The Northern King blasted Mu Han backward, and Mu Han and Luo Jin were shocked that the puppet had reached the Nine-Star Half-Emperor level.
• Luo Jin decided he did not need to intervene, while Elder Xuan warned that Mu Han would still be difficult to defeat.

Xiao Yan had the Northern King battle Mu Han, but Mu Han used his Golden Formation Domain to trap the puppet and attack Xiao Yan directly. The chapter ended with Xiao Yan caught in a formation that Mu Han identified as the God-Trapping Formation.

• Xiao Yan sent the Northern King to fight Mu Han, and their first clash ended in a draw.
• The Northern King and Mu Han exchanged hundreds of blows while Luo Jin and Elder Xuan watched and discussed Xiao Yan's unknown background.
• Mu Han opened his Golden Formation Domain and formed multiple formations across the square.
• Mu Han trapped the Northern King in a cylindrical formation, then charged Xiao Yan and attacked with a Dou Qi greatsword.
• Xiao Yan countered with a Heavenly Flame ruler, but after their weapons shattered, he discovered a formation beneath his feet.
• Mu Han activated the God-Trapping Formation with Xiao Yan at its center.

Mu Han trapped Xiao Yan in the God-Trapping Formation and charged at him, confident that Xiao Yan could not escape. Xiao Yan remained calm and summoned Xiao Jin to meet the attack.

• Mu Han activated the God-Trapping Formation around Xiao Yan, and spectators marveled that it had once trapped a Nine-Star Half-Emperor.
• Mu Han taunted Xiao Yan and vowed to kill him, take the Emperor Tribulation Pill, and seize the Northern King.
• Xiao Yan dismissed Mu Han's threats and called for Xiao Jin.
• Xiao Jin burst from a tear in the void and shot toward the charging Mu Han.

Xiao Jin struck Mu Han with golden lightning, revealing himself as another Nine-Star Half-Emperor alongside the Northern King. When Mu Han tried to seize Zhong Li as leverage for the Emperor Tribulation Pill, Xiao Yan used the Great Dao of the Void to intercept him and prepared to kill him.

• Xiao Jin’s golden lightning shattered Mu Han’s Dou Qi barrier and injured him, forcing Mu Han to recognize Xiao Jin as a Nine-Star Half-Emperor.
• Mu Han identified the lightning from the Void Lightning Pool and realized it had helped Xiao Yan survive there.
• Luo Jin recognized the lightning as Nine Profound Golden Lightning and wondered why it followed Xiao Yan.
• The Northern King broke free of the God-Trapping Formation and appeared outside it at Xiao Yan’s command.
• Mu Han charged toward Zhong Li and threatened to kill him unless Xiao Yan handed over the Emperor Tribulation Pill.
• Xiao Yan opened a Space Wormhole to block Mu Han’s path, formed the Great Dao Gauze Robe, and declared that he would take Mu Han’s life.

Xiao Yan broke Mu Han’s God-Trapping Formation and joined forces with the Northern King and Xiao Jin to overwhelm him. As Mu Han struggled to survive, Xiao Yan fused twenty-one Heavenly Flames and formed a devastating Fire Lotus.

• The God-Trapping Formation shattered, and the Northern King and Xiao Jin arrived beside Xiao Yan.
• The Northern King attacked Mu Han, and Xiao Jin joined the fight, forcing Mu Han onto the defensive.
• Xiao Yan brought out twenty-one Heavenly Flames and began fusing them while Luo Jin and Elder Xuan watched in shock.
• The Northern King sent the wounded Mu Han flying, and Xiao Yan completed the fusion, creating a Fire Lotus whose destructive aura terrified everyone nearby.

Xiao Yan confronted Mu Han with the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus, determined to kill him despite the danger to Ancient Wilderness City. After hesitating over the city’s safety, Xiao Yan renewed his attack and trapped Mu Han with the Northern King and Xiao Jin.

• Xiao Yan faced Mu Han while controlling the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus, whose destructive power made Mu Han wary.
• Mu Han urged Xiao Yan to stop, and Xiao Yan declared that he would kill him.
• Mu Han warned that unleashing the Fire Lotus could devastate Ancient Wilderness City, causing Xiao Yan to hesitate.
• Mu Han laughed when he realized Xiao Yan would not risk the city, but Xiao Yan's anger surged as he recalled Mu Han's attacks on Qin Zhong, Gu Li, and his companion.
• Xiao Yan covered himself in Heavenly Flames as the Northern King and Xiao Jin moved to block Mu Han's escape.

Xiao Yan formed a barrier around the battlefield to protect Ancient Wilderness City and prepared to kill Mu Han with Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus. Just as Mu Han closed his eyes to await death, someone called on Brother Yan Xiao to spare him.

• Mu Han warned Xiao Yan that releasing the Fire Lotus would kill everyone in Ancient Wilderness City below Half-Emperor level, prompting many people to flee.
• Xiao Yan gathered the Power of the Great Dao and spread it into a dark dome enclosing the fighters, intending to contain the Fire Lotus's force.
• Mu Han tried to self-destruct, but the Northern King and Xiao Jin suppressed him and left him badly weakened.
• Xiao Yan pressed the Fire Lotus toward Mu Han's head as Mu Han regretted making an enemy of him and prepared to die.
• Someone called out, "Brother Yan Xiao, spare him!"

Xiao Yan learned that Mu Han was needed to operate Ancient Wilderness City's interregional teleportation formation, forcing him to keep the man alive if he wanted to travel to the Western Region. The chapter ended with Xiao Yan ordering the Northern King and Xiao Jin to beat Mu Han until he was crippled.

• Luo Jin called out to stop Xiao Yan from killing Mu Han, and Xiao Yan kicked Mu Han before warning him not to move.
• Luo Jin entered Xiao Yan's barrier and explained that Mu Han controlled the city's interregional teleportation formation.
• Luo Jin told Xiao Yan that his star plate could not control the formation and that it required at least a Third-Tier Formation Master.
• Xiao Yan realized he needed Mu Han alive to reach the Western Region, then ordered the Northern King and Xiao Jin to beat him until he was crippled.

Xiao Yan reunited with the Alchemist Guild and introduced Luo Jin to Guild Masters Gu Li and Chi Lin. After the two mistook Luo Jin for Elder Luo, Xiao Yan revealed that Luo Jin was actually the master of the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion.

• Xiao Yan sat in the seat of honor while Gu Li joked with him and discussed his recovery from his injuries.
• Gu Li and Chi Lin asked Luo Jin his name and whether he came from Ancient Wilderness City, and Luo Jin gave them an ambiguous reply.
• Xiao Yan asked Gu Li and Chi Lin who was the most mysterious person in Ancient Wilderness City, leading them to mistake Luo Jin for Elder Luo.
• Gu Li and Chi Lin bowed to Luo Jin as Elder Luo, and Xiao Yan and Luo Jin laughed at their mistake.
• Xiao Yan told Gu Li and Chi Lin that Luo Jin was the master of the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion.

Xiao Yan and Luo Jin discussed Xiao Yan’s Great Dao of the Void and agreed to travel together to the Western Region, setting out in three days. Meanwhile, reports of Xiao Yan’s return, his defeat of Mu Han, and his day spent resisting a Dou Di’s pressure sent Ancient Wilderness City into an uproar.

• Luo Jin marveled at Xiao Yan’s cultivation growth, and Xiao Yan revealed that he had comprehended the Great Dao of the Void.
• Xiao Yan said he planned to travel to the Western Region, and Luo Jin offered to accompany him on Cloud-Hidden Pavilion business.
• Xiao Yan and Luo Jin agreed to set out for the Western Region in three days.
• News spread that Yan Xiao had returned as a Five-Star Half-Emperor after disappearing for two years.
• Residents of Ancient Wilderness City learned that Xiao Yan had defeated Mu Han and endured a Dou Di’s pressure for an entire day, stirring the city into an uproar.

Xiao Yan waited in disguise at a tavern while the city spread stories about his fight with Mu Han. A spoiled young woman tried to drive out the tavern’s customers, but when she moved to strike the owner, a young man in black robes stopped her.

• Xiao Yan sat by the window in a tavern, listening to rumors about his battle with Mu Han and waiting to make preparations before leaving.
• A young woman arrived and demanded that the owner clear the tavern for her.
• The young woman offered the owner thirty thousand Spirit Coins, but he refused to drive out his regular customers.
• The young woman revealed Half-Saint strength and forced everyone, including the owner, to their knees.
• The young woman tried to slap the owner, but a young man in black robes seized her wrist and rebuked her.

Xiao Yan met Qin Zhong again in Ancient Wilderness City after Qin Rou caused trouble at a restaurant. Qin Zhong punished his granddaughter, apologized to the people she had disturbed, and followed Xiao Yan out of the city, while an unknown figure secretly pursued them.

• Qin Zhong arrived and recognized Xiao Yan, who stopped him from saying his name in public.
• Qin Yan explained how Qin Rou had tried to bully others and seize things by force, and Qin Zhong apologized to Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Yan insisted that Qin Zhong apologize to the people in the restaurant, and Qin Zhong rebuked Qin Rou and did so.
• Qin Zhong ordered a middle-aged man to take Qin Rou back to her father and keep her confined to the clan.
• Xiao Yan and Qin Zhong left Ancient Wilderness City together, unaware that a figure was secretly following them.

Xiao Yan reunited with Qin Zhong, advised him to correct Qin Rou’s sheltered and arrogant behavior, and told him he planned to leave the Wilderness for the Western Region. Before departing, Xiao Yan asked Qin Zhong to protect the Liu Clan of Qingyang City, while an unidentified observer secretly followed after their meeting.

• Xiao Yan removed his mask after landing on a deserted peak with Qin Zhong, and the two greeted each other warmly.
• Xiao Yan told Qin Zhong that Qin Rou’s sheltered upbringing had left her unprepared for a real fight, and Qin Zhong accepted the criticism.
• Xiao Yan said he planned to leave the Wilderness for the Western Region the day after tomorrow, and Qin Zhong wished him a safe journey.
• Xiao Yan asked Qin Zhong to watch over the Liu Clan of Qingyang City, led by Liu Huabai, and Qin Zhong promised to protect and help the clan prosper.
• After Xiao Yan and Qin Zhong left the peak, an unidentified figure emerged from the surrounding thicket and flew away in the direction they had gone.

Xiao Yan visited Luo Ao and Qing Mu in the Ginseng Spirit Realm before setting out for the Western Region, where the Four Great Ancient Sects sought his Heavenly Severing Steps. He asked Luo Ao for help, then revealed a huge object that took the three men by surprise.

• Xiao Yan entered the Ginseng Spirit Realm and met Luo Jin, who escorted him to Luo Ao and Qing Mu.
• Luo Ao praised Xiao Yan's Five-Star Half-Emperor cultivation and warned him that the Four Great Ancient Sects were hunting for the Heavenly Severing Steps.
• Luo Jin said he would accompany Xiao Yan to the Western Region, but Luo Ao criticized him for relying on his faction's strength.
• Xiao Yan told Luo Ao that he had come to ask for help, and then cast a vast shadow over the group by revealing a massive object.

Xiao Yan revealed that he possessed the Luo Heavenly Divine Cauldron, prompting Elder Luo and Qing Mu to warn him about the danger of its discovery. When Elder Luo examined the cauldron, he found it covered in cracks and asked Xiao Yan to explain how it had been damaged, then called the repair a difficult problem.

• Xiao Yan brought out the Luo Heavenly Divine Cauldron, and Elder Luo and Qing Mu recognized it as the treasure ranked second on the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking.
• Elder Luo warned Xiao Yan that possessing the cauldron could attract trouble and advised him to keep it hidden.
• Elder Luo inspected the cauldron and discovered that it was covered in cracks.
• Xiao Yan explained how the Luo Heavenly Divine Cauldron had been damaged, and Elder Luo concluded that its previous master, Zhou Tong, had used it to block an Origin King-level attack.
• Elder Luo examined the blade mark and told Xiao Yan that repairing the cauldron would be a difficult problem.