Chapter Summaries

Xiao Yan revealed that he was a six-star Half-Emperor and fought a black-robed Dou Di, while the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders struggled against the other attackers. When one pavilion elder was about to be killed, Xiao Yan intervened and struck both black-robed elders away.

• Xiao Yan exchanged blows with a black-robed elder, who was shocked that a Half-Emperor had matched him.
• Xiao Yan revealed his six-star Half-Emperor strength, stunning the fighters and causing the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders to lose hope.
• Xiao Yan opened his Domain of Flame and traded nearly a hundred blows with the black-robed elder, but could not overpower him through physical strength alone.
• A black-robed elder blasted one Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elder back and moved to kill him while another attacker kept his companion from helping.
• Xiao Yan hurled a streak of black light at the elder behind him, rushed to the endangered pavilion elder, and struck with Eight Extremes Collapse, blasting two black-robed elders away.

Xiao Yan used the Northern King puppet to save the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elder and challenge the black-robed Dou Di expert. After the puppet regenerated from a devastating blow, it charged the elder again, leaving the fight ongoing.

• Xiao Yan blocked the black-robed elder’s attack with the Northern King, though the impact left Xiao Yan with internal injuries.
• The black-robed elder recognized the Northern King as a puppet, and Xiao Yan ordered it to attack.
• The Northern King and the elder exchanged blows, and the elder caved in the puppet’s chest.
• Black lightning restored the Northern King’s chest and strengthened its purple-gold body.
• The Northern King rushed back at the black-robed elder and swung a fist at his head.

The Northern King’s restorative power gave him the advantage over one black-robed elder, while Xiao Yan prepared to join the battle against the other two. After recognizing Xiao Yan, the elders launched powerful Dou Techniques to counter his Sevenfold Heaven-Breaking Ruler.

• The Northern King repeatedly healed from his wounds as he fought, while the black-robed elder’s Dou Qi dwindled and left him struggling.
• The elder urged his two brothers to finish their opponents, but they remained occupied by their foes and the mysterious black-robed fighter protecting them.
• Xiao Yan watched the Northern King’s performance and considered how the puppet’s growing strength could help him face the Four Great Sects.
• Xiao Yan summoned his Black Ruler, and the two black-robed elders recognized him as the famous Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Yan began Sevenfold Heaven-Breaking Ruler, prompting the two elders to join forces and unleash Wind-Tearing Break and Raging Sea Waves.

Xiao Yan activated the Xiao Clan Mark and raised his cultivation to Mid Seven-Star Half-Emperor while battling two black-robed Dou Di elders. The Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders intercepted one opponent, and Xiao Yan shattered the other elder’s eagle technique with his Sevenfold Heaven-Breaking Ruler, leaving the battle unresolved.

• The two black-robed elders unleashed the Wind-Tearing Break and Raging Sea Waves techniques against Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Yan summoned the Xiao Clan Mark, raising his strength to Mid Seven-Star Half-Emperor.
• Two Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders intervened and held off one black-robed elder while Xiao Yan faced the other.
• Xiao Yan’s first ruler strike was suppressed by the elder’s eagle technique.
• Xiao Yan combined seven strikes of the Sevenfold Heaven-Breaking Ruler and destroyed the eagle, causing the black-robed elder to spit blood.

Xiao Yan defeated two of the three black-robed Dou Di brothers, while the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders recovered with pills he provided. Exhausted and facing the surviving brother, Xiao Yan let the three leave, then stopped them at the doorway.

• Xiao Yan ordered the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders and Northern King to hold back after he gravely injured the second brother.
• Xiao Yan countered the sword-wielding elder’s attacks and shattered his longsword with the Heavy Xuan Ruler, knocking him back.
• Xiao Yan gave the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders third-tier pills to help them recover as he continued fighting.
• Xiao Yan saw Half-Emperor experts gathering outside the chamber and concealed his exhaustion while facing the surviving eldest brother.
• Xiao Yan told the brothers they could leave, and the eldest brother carried his injured brothers toward the doorway.
• Xiao Yan called out “Wait” as the three brothers reached the doorway, making the eldest brother turn back on guard.

Xiao Yan offered the black-robed boss six tier-three pills and stopped the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders from attacking, allowing the boss and his companions to leave. After they vanished into the passage, Xiao Yan collapsed and lost consciousness.

• The black-robed boss prepared to fight Xiao Yan, but Xiao Yan sent him a jade bottle containing six tier-three pills.
• The boss took the pills and questioned Xiao Yan’s intentions while the Half-Emperor experts watched.
• The two Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders recovered and prepared to attack the boss, but Xiao Yan grabbed their wrists and stopped them.
• One elder ordered the boss and his companions to leave, and the boss warned Xiao Yan that their conflict was not over before departing with his two companions.
• Xiao Yan collapsed into the elders’ arms and lost consciousness.

Xiao Yan recovered after defeating two Dou Di experts, while the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders gave him the treasures from the stone chamber. Searching the Storage Ring for the Soul-Congealing Fruit, he instead found Flash-Freezing Grass.

• Xiao Yan woke with the Northern King guarding him as the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders respectfully asked after his health.
• Xiao Yan explained that he needed several days to recover after expending the Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline and Clan Mark.
• One elder gave Xiao Yan a Storage Ring containing the stone chamber's treasures in gratitude for saving their lives.
• Xiao Yan searched the Storage Ring for the Soul-Congealing Fruit but found no trace of it.
• Xiao Yan sensed a chill in the Storage Ring and uncovered a plant he identified as Flash-Freezing Grass.

Xiao Yan found Flash-Freezing Grass and compensated the two old men for their medicinal ingredients with high-quality third-tier pills. After learning that the Soul-Congealing Fruit was unlikely to be in the ruins’ outer Boulder Hall, he heard that the gray-robed old man might know its location.

• Xiao Yan found Flash-Freezing Grass and stored it, though he still had not recovered his Dou Qi or found the Soul-Congealing Fruit.
• Xiao Yan gave each old man a jade bottle containing six high-quality third-tier pills, and they bowed to thank him.
• Xiao Yan briefly sensed someone watching him but dismissed the feeling when he could not identify its source.
• The blue-robed old man explained that the ruins had three layers, with the outer Boulder Hall, a dangerous ancient forest in the middle, and an unexplored inner area.
• The gray-robed old man told Xiao Yan that he might know where the Soul-Congealing Fruit was.

Xiao Yan learned that a Soul-Congealing Fruit Tree might grow on an island inside the ruins, but a powerful beast guarded the lake around it. He weighed whether the Northern King could overcome the threat as he considered pursuing the fruit.

• The gray-robed elder told Xiao Yan that his friend had escaped the ruins’ ancient forest after a formation killed many intruders and left him badly injured.
• The elder said his friend had glimpsed a Soul-Congealing Fruit Tree on an island surrounded by a vast lake.
• Xiao Yan became excited at the prospect of finding a Soul-Congealing Fruit, which could help him advance as an alchemist.
• The gray-robed elder revealed that an Ancient Nether Demon Python guarded the lake and had defeated his Mid One-Star Dou Di friend in fewer than a hundred exchanges.
• Xiao Yan doubted that the Northern King, who could only contend with an ordinary Early One-Star Dou Di, could stand against the Late One-Star Dou Di beast.

After recovering only part of his strength, Xiao Yan left the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders and hurried through the passage toward the Ancient Forest to find the Soul-Congealing Fruit. He confronted the unseen pursuer he suspected was Bing, and both figures were blasted backward by their clash.

• Xiao Yan woke after two days of recovery and decided he could not wait any longer to pursue the Soul-Congealing Fruit.
• Xiao Yan told the two Cloud-Hidden Pavilion elders he would go on alone, and they urged him to put his life first.
• Xiao Yan thanked the elders, cloaked himself in black, and flew away while they headed in the opposite direction.
• Xiao Yan flew past increasingly powerful stone-door formations and realized someone was secretly following him, whom he suspected was Brother Bing.
• Xiao Yan stopped and struck at the pursuer; a pale hand met his palm, and the collision sent Xiao Yan and the hidden figure flying backward.

Xiao Yan faced Sun Hanxi alone in the passage, where the young master of the Sun Clan attacked him. The Northern King intercepted Sun Hanxi, who recognized its bloody presence and accused Xiao Yan of killing Sun Che.

• Xiao Yan searched the passage with his Spiritual Strength and found that Sun Hanxi was alone.
• Sun Hanxi launched a powerful kick at Xiao Yan and boasted of a Dou Di expert’s strength.
• The Northern King appeared, caught Sun Hanxi’s ankle, and struck him twice, sending him flying.
• Sun Hanxi realized the attacker was a puppet and recognized the bloody presence around it.
• Sun Hanxi confronted Xiao Yan and accused him of killing Sun Che.

Xiao Yan faced Sun Hanxi, who sought revenge for Xiao Yan killing his younger brother, Sun Che. As Sun Hanxi nearly killed Xiao Yan, the Northern King broke free from the ice and advanced to One-Star Dou Di, rescuing him.

• Xiao Yan admitted he had killed Sun Che after Sun Hanxi accused him of murdering his younger brother.
• Sun Hanxi attacked with an icy palm and blades, and the Northern King blocked the palm before being trapped in ice.
• Sun Hanxi struck Xiao Yan repeatedly while Xiao Yan, weakened and unable to evade, struggled to defend himself.
• The Northern King began recovering inside the ice as black lightning and purer purple-gold light spread across his body.
• Sun Hanxi prepared to kill the defenseless Xiao Yan, but the Northern King burst free, punched Sun Hanxi into a wall, and reached One-Star Dou Di.

Xiao Yan used the newly strengthened Northern King to overwhelm Sun Hanxi, but Sun Hanxi unleashed a secret technique and turned the fight around. After Sun Hanxi exposed Xiao Yan by sweeping away his concealment and attacked him, the Northern King reappeared in his path.

• Xiao Yan ordered the Northern King to attack Sun Hanxi, whose ice-covered arm shattered when it met the puppet’s fist.
• The Northern King struck Sun Hanxi repeatedly, while Xiao Yan rejected Sun Hanxi’s demand for a direct fight and continued refining a medicinal pill.
• Sun Hanxi used a secret technique to reach mid one-star Dou Di and gained the upper hand, damaging the Northern King and sending it hurtling toward Xiao Yan.
• Sun Hanxi attacked Xiao Yan, who blocked the blow with his palm and vanished into a black curtain using the Great Dao of the Void.
• Sun Hanxi unleashed a Dou Qi storm that exposed Xiao Yan, then rushed to attack him as the Northern King appeared in his way amid black lightning.

The Northern King used newly refined black lightning to fight Sun Hanxi on equal terms, while Sun Hanxi’s temporary power began to run out. Sun Hanxi struck the Northern King with a hidden technique as the Northern King delivered a fatal blow, and a massive explosion engulfed the passage.

• The Northern King repelled Sun Hanxi’s attacks with black lightning, and Xiao Yan realized the puppet had merged with the lightning’s power.
• Sun Hanxi drew an ice-blue broadsword and fought the Northern King, but the lightning weakened him while the Northern King’s wounds healed.
• Sun Hanxi’s secret art neared its time limit as his broadsword cracked and his remaining Dou Qi rapidly drained away.
• The Northern King struck Sun Hanxi in the chest and sent him crashing into a wall, while Sun Hanxi’s palm prints appeared on the Northern King’s chest.
• A powerful explosion tore through the passage, collapsing the walls and destroying the treasures in the stone chambers.

Two days after Sun Hanxi’s devastating attack, Xiao Yan recovered and headed toward the Ancient Forest, hoping to catch up with the Four Great Clans. Meanwhile, Bai Zhan confronted the badly injured Sun Hanxi in the Boulder Hall and revealed that he had become a Two-Star Dou Di.

• Sun Hanxi’s final Dou Technique had destroyed many stone chambers and killed several Half-Emperor experts, while Xiao Yan escaped with injuries and the Northern King suffered serious damage.
• Xiao Yan reflected on the power of Sun Hanxi’s Spirit Class Dou Technique, accepted the strength he had earned through hard work, and set out toward the Ancient Forest.
• Xiao Yan reasoned that the Four Great Clans had left the Boulder Hall only recently and that he could catch up with them.
• Severely wounded, Sun Hanxi vowed to make Xiao Yan pay, but Bai Zhan appeared in his chamber and declared that Sun Hanxi would not get the chance.
• Bai Zhan approached Sun Hanxi with a power nearly matching Zhuo Lin’s, and Sun Hanxi realized in terror that Bai Zhan was a Two-Star Dou Di.

Sun Shuo discovered that his son Sun Hanxi’s Soul Tablet had shattered, confirming Hanxi’s death, and erupted in grief and fury. Unable to identify the killer, Sun Shuo suspected the Zhuo Clan as the most likely culprit.

• Sun Shuo waited with Sun Clan members in the ancient forest, troubled by a foreboding he could not explain.
• Sun Hanxi’s Soul Tablet appeared in Sun Shuo’s palm and rapidly cracked before shattering completely.
• Sun Shuo roared in grief and unleashed a Dou Qi storm that injured the nearby Sun Clan juniors.
• Sun Shuo concluded that Sun Hanxi had died and vowed to kill whoever was responsible.
• Sun Shuo ruled out the Bai Clan and Huo Clan, then focused his suspicion on the Zhuo Clan and Zhuo Lin.

After half a month in Boulder Hall, Xiao Yan found the exit and entered the Ancient Forest, where he rested and recovered before searching for the Soul-Congealing Fruit. He had also encountered a powerful black-robed stranger whose identity remained unknown.

• Xiao Yan found a spatial passage after cautiously searching Boulder Hall and stepped through it.
• Xiao Yan arrived at the plaza outside the Ancient Forest and noticed another black-robed figure whose presence seemed stronger than Sun Hanxi's.
• The stranger flew into the Ancient Forest, and Xiao Yan followed in a different direction after Gu You said he did not know who the person was.
• Xiao Yan chose a tall tree as a resting place and began recovering his Dou Qi and healing his injuries before searching for the Soul-Congealing Fruit.

Xiao Yan encountered the sealed Five-Star Dou Di Heaven-Reaching Giant Ape through his soul perception and barely endured its roar. He then resumed searching the ancient forest and found the ring-shaped lake with an island at its center, matching the old man's description.

• Xiao Yan's gaze awakened the Heaven-Reaching Giant Ape, whose roar overwhelmed him until he used his soul power to suppress it.
• Gu You identified the beast as a Five-Star Dou Di and said it seemed to be sealed.
• Xiao Yan set aside the danger and searched the forest for the Soul-Congealing Fruit while avoiding powerful magical beasts.
• After an hour of searching, Xiao Yan found the ring-shaped lake and its central island.

Xiao Yan reached the lake where the Soul-Congealing Fruit grew and prepared to face the powerful magical beast beneath it. The beast emerged as the Ancient Whale Serpent, which Xiao Yan had believed dead in the outside world.

• Xiao Yan sensed that several Dou Di experts were following him and used Heavenly Severing Steps to leave them behind as he raced toward the lake.
• Xiao Yan detected the Soul-Congealing Fruit’s pure Soul Power and found a dead Dou Di-level python on the shore, realizing a stronger beast likely lurked underwater.
• Xiao Yan summoned the injured Northern King and combined nine avatars into one to bolster his strength before approaching the lake.
• Xiao Yan reached the island and saw the Soul-Congealing Fruit growing on a small tree.
• A horned serpent rose from the lake, and Xiao Yan recognized it as the Ancient Whale Serpent, the beast he had thought was dead.

Xiao Yan reunited with the One-Horned Whale Serpent in the ruins and learned how the serpent had become a Dou Di. The serpent asked Xiao Yan to help him leave, and Xiao Yan agreed before turning his attention to the Soul-Congealing Fruit Tree.

• Xiao Yan recognized the One-Horned Whale Serpent, whose strength had risen to the Dou Di level, and revealed his face.
• The One-Horned Whale Serpent recognized Xiao Yan, greeted him with relief, and listened as Xiao Yan explained how he had entered the ruins.
• The serpent told Xiao Yan that humans had driven him from his lake, that he later entered the ruins, and that he had gained strength by consuming a dying expert's mostly intact Magic Core.
• The One-Horned Whale Serpent asked Xiao Yan to help him leave the ruins, and Xiao Yan agreed, welcoming the powerful companion.
• Xiao Yan looked across the lake at the jade-white Soul-Congealing Fruit Tree.