Chapter Summaries

Chen Zhen pressured Xiao Yan to surrender Heavenly Severing Steps, destroyed the movement technique scroll Xiao Yan offered, and attacked Xiao Jin and the Northern King when they resisted. Xiao Yan then offered his Storage Ring for Chen Zhen to inspect, but Chen Zhen found no Heavenly Severing Steps inside.

• Xiao Yan offered Chen Zhen his Three Thousand Lightning Movement scroll, but Chen Zhen destroyed it and demanded Heavenly Severing Steps.
• Luo Jin intervened to protect Xiao Yan and Zhang Yi, while Xiao Yan continued to deny possessing the technique under Chen Zhen's pressure.
• Xiao Jin roared to weaken Chen Zhen's pressure, but Chen Zhen struck him into the city wall and then sent the Northern King crashing beside him.
• Chen Zhen threatened to kill Xiao Jin unless Xiao Yan surrendered Heavenly Severing Steps, and Xiao Yan offered his Storage Ring instead.
• Wu Jitian urged Chen Zhen to inspect the Storage Ring, but Chen Zhen found no Heavenly Severing Steps and withdrew his spiritual power.

Wu Jitian tortured Xiao Yan in an attempt to find the missing Heavenly Severing Steps, but Xiao Yan insisted he did not have them. Luo Jin intervened to protect Xiao Yan and forced the Four Great Sects to withdraw, though Wu Jitian warned that Xiao Yan would not be safe forever.

• Wu Jitian searched Xiao Yan's Storage Ring, found no trace of the Heavenly Severing Steps, and violently demanded to know where they were.
• Ye Luotian healed Xiao Yan and urged him to hand over the steps, but Xiao Yan again said he did not have them.
• Wu Jitian attacked Xiao Yan, and Luo Jin used the Taiyi Star Disk to block the blow.
• Luo Jin threatened to destroy the Four Great Sects if they harmed Xiao Yan, making their sect masters abandon the confrontation.
• Wu Jitian warned Xiao Yan not to leave the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion, and Luo Jin ordered the others to leave.
• Just as Wu Jitian turned to go, someone called, "Wait."

Chen Zhen abandoned his demand for Heavenly Severing Steps for the moment and accused Xiao Yan of injuring a subordinate of the Four Great Sects. The sect masters demanded that Xiao Yan endure one palm strike from each of them, and he accepted despite his grave injuries.

• Chen Zhen stopped Luo Jin from leaving and said the Four Great Sects would no longer insist on obtaining Heavenly Severing Steps.
• Chen Zhen claimed Xiao Yan had injured a jointly appointed subordinate and demanded that he answer for it.
• Luo Jin protested that Xiao Yan was already gravely injured, but Chen Zhen insisted on four palm strikes as the price of ending the dispute.
• Wu Jitian and the other sect masters threatened and taunted Xiao Yan while pressing him to reveal Heavenly Severing Steps.
• Xiao Yan stopped Luo Jin from speaking and agreed to take one palm strike from each of the four sect masters.

Xiao Yan refused Luo Jin’s protection and fought Wu Jitian despite his injuries, meeting the Dou Di expert’s Heavenly Dipper Fist with his Sevenfold Heaven Breaking Ruler. After the clash, Xiao Yan reappeared coughing and demanded another round.

• Luo Jin stopped Wu Jitian and offered to protect Xiao Yan, but Xiao Yan declined and chose to face the opponents himself.
• Xiao Yan summoned the Heavy Xuan Ruler and challenged Wu Jitian to attack.
• Wu Jitian used the Heavenly Dipper Fist at twenty percent strength, and Xiao Yan answered with the Sevenfold Heaven Breaking Ruler.
• Their techniques collided in a violent energy storm, and Xiao Yan disappeared from view.
• Xiao Yan’s coughing voice rang out, mocking Wu Jitian’s strength and calling for another attack.

Xiao Yan survived Wu Jitian’s punch and faced Jian Ming’s Ten Thousand Swords Form while the Four Great Sects tested whether he could endure their attacks. After holding out for nearly an hour, Xiao Yan’s defense shattered and Jian Ming’s swords closed in on him, leaving Luo Jin alarmed.

• Xiao Yan rose from the ruins, and Luo Jin was relieved to see that he was alive.
• Xiao Yan swallowed a medicinal pill and mocked Wu Jitian, who was stopped from attacking him again by Chen Zhen.
• Ye Luotian declined to strike first, so Jian Ming challenged Xiao Yan with the Ten Thousand Swords Form.
• Xiao Yan used the Six Directions Wandering Body Ruler to defend himself against Jian Ming’s endless flying swords for nearly an hour.
• Jian Ming’s swords broke Xiao Yan’s defense and surged toward him as Luo Jin’s expression darkened.

Xiao Yan survived Jian Ming’s sword barrage by using the Power of the Great Dao, but the effort left him badly weakened. Jian Ming sent his sword dragon to kill him, and as its claws descended, a roar interrupted the attack.

• Jian Ming realized Xiao Yan had vanished without leaving blood and suspected he had used Heavenly Severing Steps.
• Xiao Yan emerged from the void in the sky, his presence fading as the black curtain behind him dispersed.
• Chen Zhen recognized that Xiao Yan had used the Power of the Great Dao rather than Heavenly Severing Steps, shocking the watching experts.
• Xiao Yan spat out blood and grew weaker after forcing himself to use the Power of the Great Dao.
• Jian Ming ordered his sword dragon to tear Xiao Yan apart, and its claws descended toward him as he sensed death approaching.
• A roar sounded just as the dragon’s claws were about to strike Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan prepared to strike the sword dragon’s core while Xiao Jin endured its attacks to protect him. As the sword dragon brought its claw down on Xiao Jin, Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes and unleashed the Vajra Glazed Body.

• Xiao Jin blocked the sword dragon for Xiao Yan, while the Northern King attacked it and Gu You revealed that its core was in its head.
• Xiao Yan swallowed two Emperor Grade Pills as Jian Ming intensified the sword dragon’s attack on Xiao Jin.
• Luo Jin challenged Jian Ming and threatened the Four Great Sects, but Jian Ming warned that intervening would endanger Xiao Yan and Xiao Jin.
• Xiao Jin continued shielding Xiao Yan as Jian Ming broke him free of the sword dragon and ordered a claw strike at his head.
• Zhang Yi noticed something unusual about Xiao Yan, whose presence Luo Jin could not discern.
• Xiao Yan opened his eyes as the claw descended and unleashed the Vajra Glazed Body, filling the sky with golden light and Heavenly Flames.

Xiao Yan unleashed Vajra Glaze and used his ghastly white Heavenly Flames to destroy the sword dragon while Xiao Jin held it back. After Jian Ming wounded him and Xiao Jin was left near death, Xiao Yan charged Jian Ming with Heavenly Severing Steps, revealing that he possessed the technique.

• Xiao Yan transformed into a ninety-nine-foot vajra giant and burned away the sword dragon’s arm with his Heavenly Flames.
• Jian Ming ordered the sword dragon to kill, and Xiao Jin clung to it despite suffering severe wounds to protect Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Yan punched through the sword dragon’s head, but Jian Ming split the dragon and struck Xiao Yan with a sword beam, leaving a wound across his golden body.
• Xiao Yan gathered the barely breathing Xiao Jin into his arms, used the Three Thousand Burning Flame to shrink him, and took him into his body.
• Xiao Yan used Heavenly Severing Steps to appear beside Jian Ming and attack him, and Jian Ming recognized the technique.

Xiao Yan used his Heavenly Flames and overwhelming physical attacks to break through Jian Ming’s protective sword barrier. Jian Ming then unleashed his full power and trapped Xiao Yan inside a cage of enormous swords, preparing to strike from above.

• Xiao Yan’s Bone Spirit Cold Flame weakened Jian Ming’s sword barrier, and Xiao Yan battered Jian Ming into the city.
• Xiao Yan grabbed Jian Ming and struck him repeatedly with Eight Extremes Collapse, nearly shattering the barrier.
• Xiao Yan kicked Jian Ming in the face, breaking the sword barrier and sending him flying.
• Jian Ming rose unharmed, released his suppressed presence, and summoned four enormous swords to enclose Xiao Yan.
• Jian Ming formed another sword above the cage and invoked the Sixth form, Sword Seal.

Jian Ming sealed Xiao Yan inside the Sword Seal and unleashed a deadly attack while Luo Jin and Zhang Yi tried to stop the four sects. Chen Zhen countered Zhang Yi’s Spirit Class Dou Technique by trapping him and Luo Jin in the Nine Heavens Thunder Prison Array, leaving their survival uncertain.

• Jian Ming used the Sword Seal to pin Xiao Yan beneath a giant sword, while he and Chen Zhen made clear they intended to kill Xiao Yan before he grew into a threat.
• Jian Ming’s golden sword crashed down toward Xiao Yan, who realized he could not withstand the attack from an Eight-Star Dou Di.
• Luo Jin poured his Dou Qi into the Taiyi Star Disk to counter Chen Zhen’s pressure as Zhang Yi prepared the Annihilation Palm.
• Zhang Yi launched his Spirit Class Dou Technique at Chen Zhen, but Chen Zhen formed a profound array beneath Zhang Yi and Luo Jin.
• Chen Zhen activated the Nine Heavens Thunder Prison Array, surrounding Luo Jin and Zhang Yi with pillars of golden light.

Xiao Yan lost hope as a Dou Di’s giant sword bore down on him, but Gu You reminded him of Luo Jin, his ancestor, and his loved ones until his will reignited. He began the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations and swallowed three Heavenly Flames, leaving the outcome of his clash with the giant sword uncertain.

• Xiao Yan felt overwhelmed by the Dou Di’s power and stopped resisting as he fell toward the ground.
• Gu You scolded Xiao Yan for giving up while Luo Jin risked his life to endure the formation’s attacks.
• Xiao Yan saw Luo Jin’s injuries and began to regain his resolve, then Gu You reminded him of his ancestor, family, wife, children, father, and teacher.
• Xiao Yan roared, reignited his Heavenly Flame, and burned the giant swords surrounding him.
• Xiao Yan began the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations, swallowing a brilliant Heavenly Flame, the Emperor Flame, and Gu You’s Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

Xiao Yan used the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations and his Dou Di Bloodline to reach Late Nine-Star Half-Emperor, then resisted Jian Ming’s Sword Seal with the Ancient Emperor Seal. Jian Ming shattered the seal and drove Xiao Yan into the ground, leaving him gravely wounded as the sword descended toward his chest.

• Xiao Yan activated the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations and his Dou Di Bloodline, raising his presence to Late Nine-Star Half-Emperor.
• Xiao Yan countered Jian Ming’s descending giant sword with pillars of Heavenly Flame, but the flames were severed.
• Xiao Yan formed the Ancient Emperor Seal and used it to hold back Jian Ming’s giant sword.
• Jian Ming unleashed the Sword Seal’s true power, shattered the Ancient Emperor Seal, and sent Xiao Yan crashing into the ground.
• Luo Jin and Zhang Yi cried out as the giant sword’s tip pierced toward Xiao Yan’s chest, and Luo Jin vowed to wash the four sects in blood.

Jian Ming’s giant sword pierced Xiao Yan’s chest, but Xiao Yan’s Heavenly Flames and awakened Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline let him fight back. He remained gravely wounded as he battered the sword apart, while Gu You controlled the Bone Spirit Cold Flame within him.

• Jian Ming drove his giant sword through Xiao Yan’s chest, leaving him barely alive and enraging Luo Jin.
• Xiao Yan’s Heavenly Flames awakened around him and began consuming the energy in Jian Ming’s sword.
• Xiao Yan awakened his Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline, shattered part of the blade, and smashed off its tip with his dragon claws.
• Xiao Yan forced himself upright and repeatedly struck the broken sword, enduring violent energy that worsened his injuries.
• Xiao Yan’s Dragon-Phoenix power and dragon claws faded, while Gu You continued controlling the Bone Spirit Cold Flame inside him.

Xiao Yan shattered Jian Ming’s Sword Seal but collapsed from his injuries, leaving Jian Ming and the other sect masters intent on killing him. As Jian Ming’s swords closed in, an aged voice ordered him to scram.

• Xiao Yan broke Jian Ming’s enormous sword hilt, then fell into the crater after his Vajra Glazed Body burst apart.
• The four sect masters resolved to kill Xiao Yan, and Chen Zhen subdued Luo Jin while keeping him alive as leverage against the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion.
• Jian Ming recalled his defeat by a mysterious expert but decided he could strike after seeing Chen Zhen had taken control of Luo Jin.
• Jian Ming sent hundreds of swords toward the helpless Xiao Yan, but an aged voice suddenly commanded him to scram.

An unseen expert destroyed Jian Ming's blades and ordered the four Dou Di experts to leave Xiao Yan, Luo Jin, and the others alone. After the expert blasted Wu Jitian with a single strike and threatened the group, Chen Zhen and the others fled Lengcui City.

• An unknown expert shattered Jian Ming's rain of swords before it could hit Xiao Yan.
• Wu Jitian demanded that the hidden expert reveal himself, but the expert ordered the four men to leave the three people behind or die.
• Wu Jitian attacked the unseen expert's authority and was hurled to the ground by an invisible force.
• The four men realized the expert might have reached the Origin Transformation Realm, while Zhang Yi continued guarding Luo Jin.
• Chen Zhen gave up his plan to seize Luo Jin, and he, Wu Jitian, Jian Ming, and Ye Luotian fled in different directions.

After the mysterious expert drove off Chen Zhen and the others, Xiao Yan remained unconscious from his severe injuries while his battle made him famous across the Western Region. Two months later, Luo Ao hurried back to the Southern Region after learning that a fragment of Hei Mu’s Ginseng Spirit Root had appeared in the Ginseng Spirit Space.

• The mysterious expert reassured Zhang Yi that Chen Zhen and the others had returned to their sects, then departed as Zhang Yi rushed to check on Xiao Yan.
• Zhang Yi found Xiao Yan near death, with an Emperor Grade Pill and Heavenly Flames already helping to repair his body and soul.
• Zhang Yi carried Xiao Yan and Luo Jin back to the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion, while stories of Xiao Yan surviving a Dou Di expert spread through the Western Region.
• After a month, Luo Jin recovered and asked Elder Luo to destroy the four sects, but Luo Ao scolded him and stayed to watch over Xiao Yan.
• Two months later, Luo Ao left for the Southern Region after Qing Mu reported finding a fragment of Hei Mu’s Ginseng Spirit Root in the Ginseng Spirit Space.

After six months of Xiao Yan remaining unconscious, the Four Great Sects placed a bounty on him, stirring unrest across the Western Region. As Luo Jin and Zhang Yi discussed the hunt and the arrival of Cloud Immortal Sect elder Yuan Qing, Xiao Yan woke up in the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion.

• Xiao Yan remained unconscious for half a year while rumors spread that he had died or left the Western Region.
• The Four Great Sects offered twelve Emperor Grade Pills and other treasures for information leading to Xiao Yan or his capture alive.
• Luo Jin lamented that Luo Ao had forbidden him from attacking the Four Great Sects, while Zhang Yi told him the Cloud Immortal Sect had withdrawn its forces from the Southern Region.
• Zhang Yi suggested that Cloud Immortal Sect elder Yuan Qing had come to the Western Region to find Xiao Yan, who had learned an avatar technique from him.
• An explosion sounded from the pavilion’s top floor, and Luo Jin and Zhang Yi saw Xiao Yan sit up as his Heavenly Flames returned to his body.

After awakening from a six-month coma, Xiao Yan recalled a nightmare in which black-robed invaders destroyed the Dou Qi Continent and killed his loved ones, then realized the dream had exposed what he valued about its people. Luo Jin and Zhang Yi told him about a mysterious senior who had saved them after the battle, and Gu You laughed from within Xiao Yan.

• Xiao Yan awoke from a dream in which black-robed figures defeated him and destroyed the Dou Qi Continent, killing his family, teacher, Xun'er, and Cai Lin.
• Xiao Yan realized the dream was false and that the people in it lacked the courage and drive for strength that he believed defined the continent.
• Startled when Luo Jin patted his shoulder, Xiao Yan nearly struck him before stopping and apologizing.
• Luo Jin asked whether Xiao Yan had met a mysterious senior, and he and Zhang Yi explained that the senior had saved them after the battle six months earlier.
• Xiao Yan recalled breaking Jian Ming's Sword Seal before losing consciousness, and Gu You laughed from within him.

After waking from his six-month sleep, Xiao Yan reunited with Luo Jin and welcomed Luo Ao, who questioned him about the Four Great Sects and his plans for confronting them. Xiao Yan resolved not to act recklessly before he could match their strength.

• Xiao Yan and Luo Jin celebrated his awakening by drinking through the night until they passed out.
• Zhang Yi escorted Luo Ao into the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion, where he reunited with Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Yan thanked Luo Ao and the others for caring for him while he was unconscious.
• Luo Ao asked Xiao Yan about his attitude toward the Four Great Sects, and Xiao Yan said he would show their sect masters no mercy if he could kill them.
• Xiao Yan admitted he could not yet match the four sect masters and said he would not confront them until he had the strength to stand against them.
• Luo Ao praised Xiao Yan's caution and teased Luo Jin for relying on his elders.

Luo Ao warned Xiao Yan that Hei Mu might have survived as a remnant soul after Qing Mu discovered a faint trace of his Qi in a piece of Ginseng Spirit Root. He left Xiao Yan with a final warning to stay cautious and prioritize strength in the Western Region.

• Luo Ao sent Zhang Yi away and told Xiao Yan that the Ginseng Spirit Clan had uncovered something concerning Hei Mu.
• Luo Ao explained that Qing Mu found a trace of Hei Mu's Qi in a piece of Ginseng Spirit Root, suggesting Hei Mu had not fully died.
• Luo Ao told Xiao Yan that Hei Mu's soul had separated from the root, so destroying it could no longer harm him.
• Luo Ao joked that Xiao Yan might be Hei Mu, then assured him that his investigation had ruled out the possibility.
• Luo Ao warned Xiao Yan to protect his life and said survival in the Western Region depended on strength, not Dou Techniques alone.