Chapter Summaries

Zhao Xian nearly killed Xiao Yan, but a powerful middle-aged man appeared and saved him. After Murong Qianqian identified the man as her Fourth Uncle, he demanded that Zhao Xian sever one of his arms as compensation.

• Zhao Xian struck Xiao Yan in the chest, breaking his bones, then caught him by the neck as he flew away.
• A mysterious man seized Zhao Xian from behind and forced him to release Xiao Yan, who was caught by an invisible force.
• The man struck Zhao Xian and severely injured him when he tried to ask for mercy.
• Murong Qianqian called the man Fourth Uncle and told him to kill Zhao Xian.
• Zhao Xian apologized and offered everything he had as compensation, and Fourth Uncle demanded that he sever one of his arms.

The mysterious middle-aged man forced Zhao Xian to submit and severed his right arm when he hesitated to obey. He refused Murong Qianqian’s demand to kill Zhao Xian, blamed her for Xiao Yan’s danger, and ordered Zhao Xian to leave.

• Zhao Xian knelt and begged the mysterious middle-aged man to spare him and give him orders.
• When Zhao Xian hesitated, the middle-aged man cut off his right arm with a ribbon of Dou Qi.
• The middle-aged man subdued Zhao Xian’s rage, and Zhao Xian asked who he was; the man said he was not human but was more human than Zhao Xian.
• Murong Qianqian urged the middle-aged man to kill Zhao Xian, but he said she had caused Xiao Yan’s danger.
• Zhao Xian begged for his life, and the middle-aged man told him to leave.

Murong Hao rescued Xiao Yan and prepared to take Murong Qianqian back to her clan, while Xiao Yan encouraged her to leave. As they parted, Murong Hao gave Xiao Yan his name and offered him help in the future.

• After Zhao Xian fled, Murong Hao reproached Murong Qianqian for leaving her clan and getting into trouble.
• Murong Hao revealed that Xiao Yan had recovered enough to stop pretending, and Xiao Yan thanked him for saving his life.
• Murong Hao told Murong Qianqian it was time to return, and Xiao Yan urged her to go while he pursued his own plans.
• Murong Hao took Murong Qianqian away, and she looked back at Xiao Yan as they parted.
• Murong Hao told Xiao Yan his name and offered to help him if he visited Blue Eagle City in the Western Wilderness Region.

After Murong Hao took Murong Qianqian to Blue Eagle City, Xiao Yan stayed behind to recover from his injuries and prepare to pursue greater strength amid the threat of the Four Great Sects. Once his wounds had healed, he sensed a Dou Di approaching.

• Xiao Yan watched Murong Hao and Murong Qianqian disappear, then considered the danger that the Four Great Sects would soon pose.
• Xiao Yan sat in the sky and refined the fourth-tier pill within his body while planning to reach third-tier alchemist status and obtain the ingredients needed for the Ice Spirit Pill.
• For seven days, the magical beasts below left Xiao Yan undisturbed as the pill healed his injuries.
• Xiao Yan awoke with his wounds healed, tested his strength, and noticed his cultivation had improved slightly.
• Xiao Yan prepared to leave, but sensed a Dou Di approaching.

Xiao Yan hid in the mountains when he sensed a Dou Di approaching and discovered the weakened Zhao Xian searching for his severed arm and Storage Ring. After Zhao Xian found it, Xiao Yan appeared beside him, leaving Zhao Xian terrified.

• Xiao Yan sensed a powerful presence approaching and concealed himself in a dense forest.
• Xiao Yan recognized the bedraggled newcomer as Zhao Xian, who had fled from Murong Hao seven days earlier.
• Xiao Yan realized Zhao Xian had returned to recover his severed arm and the Storage Ring attached to it.
• Zhao Xian found his severed arm and rejoiced at the prospect of retrieving the Ultimate Transformation Pill inside the ring.
• Xiao Yan appeared beside Zhao Xian and startled him with a cold smile.

Xiao Yan confronted the weakened Zhao Xian to take his Ultimate Transformation Pill, but their battle remained evenly matched. They continued clashing in the air, with neither gaining the upper hand.

• Zhao Xian returned to the mountains and was startled to find Xiao Yan waiting for him.
• Xiao Yan said Zhao Xian’s companions had left and declared that he would take the Ultimate Transformation Pill.
• Xiao Yan attacked Zhao Xian with his fist, but Zhao Xian deflected the blow with his leg, and both men were knocked back.
• Xiao Yan summoned his heavy ruler and struck at Zhao Xian, who blocked the attack despite his injuries.
• Xiao Yan and Zhao Xian exchanged repeated blows as energy ripples swept across the sky and space collapsed around them.

Xiao Yan used the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations to break Zhao Xian’s Raging Thunder Waterfall and land a devastating blow. Zhao Xian crashed into the mountains, leaving the fight’s outcome unresolved.

• Xiao Yan and Zhao Xian fought for several hours as both steadily depleted their Dou Qi.
• Xiao Yan activated the first transformation of the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations and covered his massive ruler in Heavenly Flames.
• Xiao Yan’s Raging Thunder Waterfall attack was blocked by Zhao Xian’s lightning defense.
• Xiao Yan activated the second and third transformations, tore through the thunder waterfall, and smashed Zhao Xian in the chest.
• Zhao Xian spat blood and internal-organ fragments before Xiao Yan’s strike sent him crashing into the mountains.

Xiao Yan repeatedly used his dragon roar to stop Zhao Xian from self-destructing, then battered Zhao Xian’s body until its presence vanished. When Zhao Xian’s soul tried to ambush Xiao Yan as he cultivated, flames and seven black curtains suddenly trapped him.

• Xiao Yan taunted the wounded Zhao Xian and used a dragon roar to halt his self-destructing Dou Qi.
• Xiao Yan repeatedly struck Zhao Xian with his ruler while keeping him dazed with dragon roars, destroying his body.
• Xiao Yan put away his ruler and began cultivating as Zhao Xian’s soul body emerged behind him.
• Zhao Xian’s soul approached Xiao Yan to kill him and take his Storage Ring and Heavenly Flames.
• Brilliant flames enveloped Xiao Yan, and seven black curtains appeared around Zhao Xian, trapping him.

Xiao Yan trapped Zhao Xian in seven curtains formed from the Power of the Great Dao and revealed that he came from the Dou Qi Continent. As Xiao Yan prepared to kill him, Zhao Xian unleashed the Human Class Soul Technique, Soul Expansion Art, and began drawing out Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength.

• Xiao Yan appeared behind Zhao Xian and surrounded him with seven curtains formed from the Power of the Great Dao.
• Zhao Xian recognized the Power of the Great Dao and was shocked that a Half-Emperor like Xiao Yan could wield it.
• Xiao Yan told Zhao Xian that he was a nobody from the Dou Qi Continent.
• Xiao Yan summoned the Heavy Xuan Ruler and refused to spare Zhao Xian, who vowed to make him pay.
• Zhao Xian activated the Soul Expansion Art, unleashing a suction force that began pulling at Xiao Yan’s Spiritual Strength.

Zhao Xian unleashed the Human Class Soul Technique Soul Expansion Art, which tore away Xiao Yan’s soul power. Guided by Gu You, Xiao Yan merged his Heavenly Flames into his soul power and let Zhao Xian devour it, setting up a hidden counterattack.

• Zhao Xian used Soul Expansion Art to forcibly absorb Xiao Yan’s soul power and cause him intense pain.
• Gu You explained that Zhao Xian’s weakened soul form could not match Xiao Yan’s soul power and advised him to merge his Heavenly Flames into his soul.
• Xiao Yan infused his soul power with Heavenly Flames, blunting the technique’s suction.
• Xiao Yan walked toward Zhao Xian and let him devour his soul power, while Zhao Xian laughed and urged Soul Expansion Art to consume him.

Zhao Xian drained Xiao Yan’s soul power and attacked him, believing he had won. Xiao Yan used his Heavenly Flames to erase Zhao Xian’s consciousness and reclaimed the soul power, leaving Zhao Xian’s body fading away.

• Zhao Xian absorbed Xiao Yan’s soul power, growing stronger as Xiao Yan weakened.
• Zhao Xian lunged at Xiao Yan and clawed toward his head, certain that Xiao Yan could no longer resist.
• Xiao Yan’s Heavenly Flames erupted and erased Zhao Xian’s consciousness just before the attack landed.
• Zhao Xian’s body turned illusory as the suction in his abdomen gathered the released soul power, and Xiao Yan taunted him for being the moth drawn to the flame.

After defeating Zhao Xian, Xiao Yan recovered and absorbed Zhao Xian’s purified Soul Origin over two days. His Spiritual Strength rose to about Xu Songming’s level, though it still fell short of a Third-Tier Alchemist’s.

• After Zhao Xian vanished, Xiao Yan examined the purified Soul Origin left behind by the battle.
• Xiao Yan spent the night recovering enough strength to safely absorb the Soul Origin.
• Xiao Yan used the Soul Bead to draw the Soul Origin into himself and began refining it.
• Over the next day, Xiao Yan restored his lost Spiritual Strength as the Soul Origin shrank.
• By the evening of the second day, Xiao Yan had absorbed the final point of Soul Origin, bringing his Spiritual Strength to roughly Xu Songming’s level.

Xiao Yan examined the Spiritual Strength he gained by refining a Dou Di expert’s Soul Origin and tested it by splitting a mountain peak in two. He then claimed Zhao Xian’s Storage Ring and discovered its valuable collection of Cultivation Methods, Combat Skills, treasures, and medicinal ingredients.

• Xiao Yan found that his Spiritual Strength had risen to the late stage of a Second-Tier Alchemist, though it had not reached the Third-Tier barrier.
• Gu You warned Xiao Yan not to underestimate Dou Di experts or become overconfident in his new strength.
• Xiao Yan used a fraction of his Spiritual Strength to cleave a towering mountain peak in half.
• Xiao Yan took Zhao Xian’s Storage Ring, whose Soul Imprint had vanished with Zhao Xian’s death, and placed his own imprint on it.
• Xiao Yan inspected the ring’s valuable contents and spotted medicinal ingredients for Ice Spirit Pills and Bodhi Restoration Pills.

Xiao Yan inspected the Ultimate Transformation Pill and his newly strengthened Power of the Great Dao, then asked Gu You why cultivating it was so difficult. Gu You explained that innate circumstances affected comprehension and demonstrated the Great Dao of Fire, leaving Xiao Yan watching a curtain of ghastly white flame form.

• Xiao Yan found the Ultimate Transformation Pill in the Storage Ring, opened its jade box, and admired its medicinal power before putting it away.
• Xiao Yan gathered black energy into seven curtains and wondered why his increased Power of the Great Dao seemed to have changed only by allowing him to form another curtain.
• Xiao Yan asked Gu You for an explanation, and Gu You said that even cultivators who had comprehended the Power of the Great Dao might struggle to condense six curtains.
• Gu You explained that innate circumstances shaped a person's talent for comprehension and struck one of Xiao Yan's curtains.
• Gu You's strike produced a ring of ghastly white flame that formed a curtain, which he identified as the Great Dao of Fire.

Xiao Yan learned that his seventh Great Dao curtain had no special effect, while the ninth could bring a change like the one that transformed Leng Bingshuang’s Great Dao of Frost. After Gu You teased him about winning Leng Bingshuang’s regard, Xiao Yan began cultivating and Gu You returned to his body.

• Gu You explained that his Great Dao of Fire came naturally from being a Heavenly Flame, and that Xiao Yan’s seventh curtain was no different from his first six.
• Gu You said that condensing a ninth curtain could cause a change, and revealed that Leng Bingshuang’s Great Dao of Frost had emerged after she condensed nine curtains.
• Gu You explained that Leng Bingshuang had formed each of her six ice mirrors from nine curtains and suggested she had more than ten mirrors in total.
• Gu You teased Xiao Yan about needing to grow stronger if he wanted Leng Bingshuang and her family to take him seriously, making Xiao Yan blush.
• Xiao Yan withdrew his curtains and began cultivating, while Gu You turned into white light and returned to his body.

Xiao Yan searched the Western Lin Region for Ice Spirit Pill ingredients and treasures to strengthen his soul power, but a month of travel yielded little. He entered Hanxi City’s Four Pavilions hoping to find what he needed, only to discover its attendants mistreating customers under the watch of an old man.

• Xiao Yan ended his cultivation and stayed in the Western Lin Region to search for ingredients and soul-strengthening treasures.
• Over the next month, Xiao Yan visited dozens of cities and found only three medicinal ingredients, with no leads on the Ice Spirit Pill’s main ingredient, the Bodhi Restoration Pill, or soul-strengthening treasures.
• Xiao Yan arrived in Hanxi City and entered the Four Pavilions to look for the items he needed.
• Xiao Yan saw the attendants bully customers while an old man sat in the hall with his eyes closed, and departing customers gave him pitying looks.

Xiao Yan entered the Four Pavilions seeking medicinal ingredients and stopped an attendant from attacking a customer. After overpowering the attendant and alarming the pavilion’s old man, he learned that the second floor held its real treasures and headed toward it.

• The attendants mocked Xiao Yan and boasted crudely while a nearby old man sat watching with his eyes closed.
• An attendant attacked a young woman and kicked her companion toward Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Yan caught the injured man with his Spiritual Strength, then swiftly pinned the attacking attendant beneath his foot.
• The old man warned Xiao Yan against causing trouble, but Xiao Yan said he had only objected to being attacked without cause.
• The old man explained that the second floor held valuable medicinal ingredients and allowed pharmacists to enter despite its restriction to High-Level Half-Emperors.
• Xiao Yan examined the barrier at the stairs and proceeded toward the second floor.

Xiao Yan reached the second floor of the Four Pavilions after the old man punished the attendants who had obstructed him. He presented the manager with a list of ingredients for a third-tier pill, and the manager confirmed the Four Pavilions had them.

• The old man ordered the attendants to remove the unconscious attendant and send him to the mercenary squad, then invited Xiao Yan upstairs.
• Xiao Yan entered the second floor and drew curious looks from the powerful experts gathered there.
• A white-haired manager greeted Xiao Yan and offered to help him find what he needed.
• Xiao Yan handed the manager a list of medicinal ingredients and asked whether the Four Pavilions had them.
• The manager recognized that the ingredients were for a third-tier pill, asked whether Xiao Yan was a Third-Tier Alchemist, and confirmed that the Four Pavilions had the items.

Xiao Yan learned that the Four Pavilions had three of the rare medicinal ingredients he sought, and he inspected its remarkable collection while waiting for them to be fetched. He sensed that someone had secretly probed him, but the presence disappeared before he could identify it.

• The old man told Xiao Yan that the Four Pavilions had three ingredients from his list and sent an attendant to retrieve them.
• The old man invited Xiao Yan to browse the pavilion's other high-grade medicinal ingredients while he waited.
• Xiao Yan spotted rare items including Attached Dragon Branch, Strange Flower Fruit, and Soul Nourishing Grass, and marveled at the Four Pavilions' resources.
• An old man in a long white robe secretly left the Four Pavilions after watching Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Yan sensed that a subtle presence had been probing him, then searched the hall after it vanished.

Xiao Yan obtained the Dragon Vine Blood Branch, Snow Spirit Fruit, and Huo Zhi Fruit, completing the ingredients he needed for the Bodhi Restoration Pill. After accepting the old man's offer to give him the ingredients in exchange for a favor, Xiao Yan heard that the old man had information about the remaining items on his list.

• Xiao Yan noticed that one of the Nine-Star Half-Emperors had left the Four Pavilions and worried that the departure could endanger him.
• The old man brought Xiao Yan a Storage Ring containing the three requested ingredients, and Xiao Yan found a Huo Zhi Fruit among them.
• Xiao Yan agreed to accept the ingredients and owe the old man a favor instead of paying for them.
• The old man offered Xiao Yan information that could help him obtain the remaining items on his list.