Chapter Summaries

Xiao Yan and the other Dou Di experts tried to destroy the pillars protecting the formation, while the Four Great Clans weighed whether to approach the powerful black-robed stranger. The nearly spent formation launched a final attack, and the chapter ended as four beams struck the plaza and filled the sky with golden light.

• Xiao Yan evaded a golden beam and destroyed a pillar with a powerful punch, further dimming the formation.
• Huo Ba, Huo Tianyi, Zhuo Bentang, and Bai Ying reacted to Xiao Yan’s strength, while Xiao Yan urged the clans to help destroy the pillars.
• Sun Shuo shattered a pillar, and Bai Ying and Huo Ba began attacking; Zhuo Lin told Zhuo Bentang to conserve strength and destroy only one pillar.
• The experts reduced the remaining nine pillars to four as the formation gathered its last power.
• The formation fired four beams, and the experts unleashed their attacks on the last pillars, but the beams continued toward them and filled the plaza with golden light.

After the formation broke, the surviving Dou Di experts rushed to claim the statue’s Dou Qi inheritance, while Zhuo Lin secretly targeted the black-robed Xiao Yan. The inheritance was knocked loose, the statue attacked the crowd with golden beams, and Xiao Yan’s use of Heavenly Severing Steps exposed his identity to Sun Shuo.

• The surviving experts celebrated breaking the formation, then scattered as they resumed competing for the Dou Qi inheritance.
• Zhuo Lin approached the black-robed Xiao Yan, but Xiao Yan refused to travel with him; Zhuo Lin later ordered Zhuo Bentang to attack the black-robed man if an opportunity arose.
• Bai Ying urged the experts toward the statue, and Huo Ba suppressed the crowd before Xiao Yan and the others raced for its inheritance.
• Huo Ba and Bai Ying fought over the inheritance while Sun Shuo and Xiao Yan each seized it, and the four-way clash sent it flying from the statue’s palm.
• The statue fired enormous golden beams at the crowd, and a Three-Star Dou Di attacked Xiao Yan from behind; Xiao Yan dodged with Heavenly Severing Steps.
• Sun Shuo recognized Xiao Yan’s technique, turned scarlet-eyed, and asked if the black-robed man was Xiao Yan.

Sun Shuo recognized Xiao Yan and attacked him over the death of his son, while the other clans battled for the Dou Qi inheritance. Xiao Yan and Sun Shuo fought to a standstill until the One-Horned Whale Serpent intervened to block Sun Shuo’s killing blow.

• Sun Shuo exposed Xiao Yan’s identity, and Zhuo Lin’s deduction prompted Bai Ying and Huo Ba to suspect the Bai Clan had concealed its strength.
• Sun Shuo attacked Xiao Yan with the Three Saber Tribulation, and Xiao Yan revealed himself and countered with Flame Splitting Tsunami.
• As Xiao Yan and Sun Shuo clashed, Huo Ba, Bai Ying, and Zhuo Lin led their clans in a fight for the Dou Qi inheritance.
• Xiao Yan and Sun Shuo emerged from the energy storm injured and evenly matched, then Sun Shuo launched a feint and tried to strike Xiao Yan from behind.
• The One-Horned Whale Serpent appeared and blocked Sun Shuo’s punch, allowing Xiao Yan to dodge without serious injury.

Xiao Yan and the One-Horned Whale Serpent fought Sun Shuo while the other Dou Di experts battled over the Dou Qi inheritance. Sun Shuo unleashed the Blood Transformation Art and overwhelmed Xiao Yan’s allies, but a golden light entered the One-Horned Whale Serpent as Xiao Yan prepared a powerful attack.

• Xiao Yan and the One-Horned Whale Serpent joined forces against Sun Shuo while the Dou Di experts fought over the Dou Qi inheritance.
• Xiao Yan brought out the Northern King, whose rapid recovery helped the three allies hold off Sun Shuo.
• Sun Shuo used the Blood Transformation Art to reach Late Three-Star Dou Di, struck Xiao Yan down, and pinned the One-Horned Whale Serpent beneath his foot.
• Sun Shuo blasted the Northern King and repeatedly knocked the One-Horned Whale Serpent away as he moved to finish Xiao Yan.
• Xiao Yan gathered Dou Qi into the Heavy Xuan Ruler, and a golden light entered the One-Horned Whale Serpent, shocking the onlookers.

Sun Shuo’s attack accidentally caused the One-Horned Whale Serpent to swallow the Dou Qi inheritance, rapidly raising the beast’s strength and giving Xiao Yan a powerful ally. Huo Ba then pressured Sun Shuo into joining the other clans’ plan to hold off the serpent while they captured Xiao Yan.

• The One-Horned Whale Serpent swallowed the Dou Qi inheritance, and its strength surged as it blasted Xiao Yan and Sun Shuo away.
• Huo Ba explained that Sun Shuo had caused the inheritance to fall into the serpent’s mouth, angering the other clans and leaving Sun Shuo shaken.
• The serpent’s strength rose to the Middle Three-Star Dou Di Stage and he struck Sun Shuo away when Sun Shuo attacked Xiao Yan.
• Huo Ba threatened that the other clans could report Sun Shuo’s mistake to the sect, then proposed capturing Xiao Yan to compensate for losing the inheritance.
• The Huo, Zhuo, and Bai clans pressured Sun Shuo into cooperating, and Sun Shuo agreed to hold off the One-Horned Whale Serpent while they captured Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan faced the Four Great Clans in the plaza while the One-Horned Whale Serpent fought Sun Shuo. After Bai Ying engaged the Northern King, Huo Ba, Huo Tianyi, Zhuo Lin, and Zhuo Bentang attacked Xiao Yan, beginning the showdown.

• The One-Horned Whale Serpent’s strength reached Late Three-Star Dou Di, and Sun Shuo challenged him before they clashed in midair.
• Zhuo Lin and the others surrounded Xiao Yan, revealed how they had identified him, and questioned Bai Ying about Xiao Yan’s escape from the Bai Clan.
• Bai Ying charged the Northern King, but their exchange injured both of them and prompted Bai Ying to demand help from the Zhuo and Huo Clans.
• Huo Ba, Huo Tianyi, Zhuo Lin, and Zhuo Bentang moved to capture or kill Xiao Yan, who covered himself in Heavenly Flames and charged them head-on.

Xiao Yan fought Huo Ba and the other three Dou Di experts, but their united assault overwhelmed him. After countering Huo Ba’s sword lights, Xiao Yan faced another greatsword strike at close range.

• Huo Ba attacked Xiao Yan with a massive Dou Qi greatsword as Huo Tianyi, Zhuo Bentang, and Zhuo Lin charged behind him.
• Xiao Yan summoned a Heavenly Flame avatar, which distracted the four opponents and attacked them with a flaming ruler.
• The four Dou Di experts struck back together, destroying the avatar and sending Xiao Yan flying backward.
• Xiao Yan realized the Four Great Clans had united against him and suppressed the injuries from their combined attack.
• Huo Ba mocked Xiao Yan and sent sword lights at him, which Xiao Yan countered with Flame Splitting Tsunami.
• A burly figure appeared in front of Xiao Yan and brought a greatsword down toward his head.

Xiao Yan repeatedly dodged Huo Ba’s attacks with Heavenly Severing Steps, but the effort drained his Dou Qi and Huo Ba eventually drove him to the edge of the square and pinned him under crushing pressure. As Huo Ba struck through Xiao Yan’s chest, Zhuo Lin remained convinced that Xiao Yan had more strength to reveal.

• Xiao Yan evaded Huo Ba’s surprise sword strike with Heavenly Severing Steps, then reappeared in the air as an afterimage faded beneath the blade.
• Zhuo Lin warned Zhuo Bentang not to underestimate Xiao Yan, pointing out that Xiao Yan had killed Sun Hanxi and comprehended the Power of the Great Dao.
• Xiao Yan repeatedly dodged Huo Ba’s attacks, while Huo Ba kept Huo Tianyi back to prevent the Zhuo Clan from taking advantage of their fight.
• Huo Ba finally struck Xiao Yan and sent him reeling to the edge of the square, then overwhelmed him with his Dou Di pressure.
• Zhuo Lin rebuked Zhuo Bentang for underestimating Xiao Yan and predicted that Huo Ba would not defeat him easily.
• Huo Ba pressed his palm against Xiao Yan’s chest and unleashed Dou Qi that pierced through his body.

Xiao Yan used deceptive afterimages and a hidden approach to strike Huo Ba with Heart-Shattering Palm, but Huo Tianyi hit him in return. Both men were badly injured, and Zhuo Lin warned that Xiao Yan’s attack might have seriously harmed Huo Ba if Huo Tianyi had not intervened.

• Huo Ba repeatedly attacked Xiao Yan’s black-robed afterimages, while Zhuo Lin realized the figures were more than ordinary afterimages.
• Zhuo Lin heard a faint hiss near the edge of the square and spotted Xiao Yan streaking toward Huo Ba.
• Zhuo Lin stopped Zhuo Bentang from intervening, while Huo Tianyi rushed to protect Huo Ba.
• Xiao Yan appeared behind Huo Ba and struck him with Heart-Shattering Palm, sending him flying.
• Huo Tianyi struck Xiao Yan in the chest, and both fighters spat blood as their Qi weakened.
• Zhuo Lin told Zhuo Bentang that Huo Ba might have been seriously harmed if Huo Tianyi had not arrived in time.

Xiao Yan recovered with pills and fought Huo Tianyi to a standstill, while Zhuo Lin waited for a chance to attack. After the One-Horned Whale Serpent defeated Sun Shuo and reached Mid-stage Four-Star Dou Di, Zhuo Lin moved against Xiao Yan, and Bai Ying’s attempt to intervene ended with his wrist broken.

• Xiao Yan swallowed two tier-three pills and resumed fighting Huo Tianyi with his Heavy Xuan Ruler, holding his own through more than a hundred exchanges.
• The One-Horned Whale Serpent defeated Sun Shuo and revealed strength at Mid-stage Four-Star Dou Di.
• Zhuo Lin ordered Zhuo Bentang to stop the One-Horned Whale Serpent while he attacked Xiao Yan and Huo Tianyi.
• Bai Ying let the Northern King break his wrist and was sent flying toward Zhuo Bentang.

Bai Ying and the One-Horned Whale Serpent disrupted the Zhuo Clan’s attempt to seize an advantage, and Huo Tianyi was swallowed during the ensuing chase. The serpent began to enter slumber after devouring him, leaving Xiao Yan vulnerable as Zhuo Lin prepared to attack.

• Bai Ying accidentally obstructed Zhuo Bentang, then accused him of waiting to reap the benefits while the Northern King struck him down.
• Zhuo Lin overtook Huo Tianyi, but the One-Horned Whale Serpent caught up as Huo Tianyi tried to reach Xiao Yan.
• Zhuo Lin kicked Huo Tianyi beneath the serpent’s jaws, and the serpent swallowed him alive before belching.
• Xiao Yan thanked the serpent and noticed golden solidified energy spreading over its body, signaling that it would soon fall asleep.
• Zhuo Lin saw the serpent’s change and gathered Dou Qi, believing Xiao Yan could no longer escape him.

Xiao Yan fought Zhuo Lin while the One-Horned Whale Serpent became trapped beneath an energy keratin layer, leaving both of them in danger. As Zhuo Lin prepared to finish Xiao Yan with his Golden Cloud Sword, Xiao Yan swallowed handfuls of medicinal pills, leaving the onlookers stunned.

• Zhuo Lin attacked Xiao Yan, who blocked his blows with the Heavy Xuan Ruler while the One-Horned Whale Serpent tried to help him with a burst of Dou Qi.
• Zhuo Lin ordered Zhuo Bentang to kill the serpent, and Zhuo Bentang attacked as the energy keratin layer encased it completely.
• Zhuo Lin wounded Xiao Yan with his short sword and golden sword lights while Zhuo Bentang continued trying to break through the serpent's covering.
• Xiao Yan steadied himself after remembering his promise to take the serpent away, and Zhuo Lin summoned the Golden Cloud Sword for a final attack.
• Xiao Yan put away the Heavy Xuan Ruler, shattered several jade bottles, and swallowed handfuls of third-tier medicinal pills as the spectators watched in shock.

Xiao Yan swallowed dozens of third-tier pills to restore his power and fuel a Destruction Fire Lotus, enduring the violent energy as he merged seven Heavenly Flames. Zhuo Lin attacked while Xiao Yan was concentrating, but Xiao Yan evaded him and completed the Fire Lotus, leaving its attack against Zhuo Lin about to begin.

• Xiao Yan swallowed dozens of third-tier pills, and their power restored his Qi while threatening to tear his body apart.
• Xiao Yan gathered the rampaging energy with his soul power and began merging six Heavenly Flames to form the Destruction Fire Lotus.
• Gu You lent Xiao Yan the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, and Xiao Yan added it to the flames he was fusing.
• Zhuo Lin realized Xiao Yan was preparing a powerful attack and tried to stop him with the Golden Cloud Sword.
• Xiao Yan evaded Zhuo Lin's strike, formed a Fire Lotus, and sent it toward him.

Xiao Yan’s Destruction Fire Lotus overwhelmed Zhuo Lin’s sword defenses and unleashed successive energy storms across the arena. As the third storm approached, both fighters were gravely wounded, and Xiao Yan lay unable to move, expecting to die.

• Zhuo Lin used his essence blood to empower the Golden Cloud Sword, activated his Sword Domain, and summoned four Sword Seal shields to block the Fire Lotus.
• The Fire Lotus shattered Zhuo Lin’s first two sword shields, then stopped advancing as its light dimmed.
• The Fire Lotus’s falling petals unleashed destructive energy storms that killed or gravely injured most of the Dou Di experts in the square.
• Zhuo Lin used the gravely injured Sun Shuo as a shield against the approaching third storm.
• Xiao Yan, badly wounded and unable to move, closed his eyes as the third storm approached, fearing Gu You would not intervene.

After Xiao Yan’s Fire Lotus devastated the square, Zhuo Lin survived and became convinced that Xiao Yan might still be alive, while Bai Ying watched the surviving Zhuo Clan members. Xiao Yan had escaped the ruins with Leng Bingshuang, the overlord of the Xilin Mountain Range, and faced her in the snowy mountains.

• Zhuo Lin survived the energy storm by using Sun Shuo’s body as a shield, then searched the corpses and found no trace of Xiao Yan or the One-Horned Whale Serpent.
• Zhuo Lin mistook Huo Ba for Xiao Yan and killed him, then collapsed as Zhuo Bentang came to his aid and gave him a medicinal pill.
• Bai Ying hid on the statue and watched as Zhuo Lin secretly took the Golden Cloud Sword and stabbed Zhuo Bentang, who had just saved him.
• Bai Ying reconsidered attacking Zhuo Lin and began healing while Zhuo Lin’s injuries recovered.
• Xiao Yan appeared beyond the snowbound mountains with Tian Ying and two others, facing Leng Bingshuang, who had rescued him from the ruins.

After Leng Bingshuang rescued Xiao Yan and the others from the ruins, she demanded the Bodhi Restoration Pill and struck Xiao Yan when he could not provide it. Xiao Yan survived, learned that her blow had suppressed the violent energy in his body, and promised to deliver the pill within two years.

• Xiao Yan thanked Leng Bingshuang for rescuing him, while Tian Ying and his two brothers respectfully greeted her.
• Leng Bingshuang demanded the Bodhi Restoration Pill, and Xiao Yan worried because he had only just obtained the Soul-Congealing Fruit and could not yet refine it.
• Leng Bingshuang struck Xiao Yan into the snow, prompting Tian Ying to ask her to spare him for Miss Murong's sake.
• Leng Bingshuang said she had not intended to kill Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yan emerged unharmed after her blow suppressed the violent energy inside him.
• Xiao Yan thanked Leng Bingshuang for resolving the energy in his body and promised to bring her the Bodhi Restoration Pill within two years.

Xiao Yan left the One-Horned Whale Serpent in Leng Bingshuang’s care after she demanded he bring her a Bodhi Restoration Pill within two years. Three days later, Xiao Yan finished refining the energy in his body and took out the Soul-Congealing Fruit.

• Tian Ying and the others were shocked to learn that the One-Horned Whale Serpent had reached Four-Star Dou Di, and Xiao Yan explained how the serpent had gained the inheritance and energy in the ruins.
• Xiao Yan asked Tian Ying and the others to watch over the One-Horned Whale Serpent, but Leng Bingshuang claimed responsibility for him and reminded Xiao Yan that she would kill them both if he failed to deliver the Bodhi Restoration Pill within two years.
• Xiao Yan left the Xilin Mountain Range, while Leng Bingshuang ordered Tian Ying and the others to take the One-Horned Whale Serpent to Yan Shi’s cave abode to refine his energy.
• Three days later, Xiao Yan completed refining the energy within himself and took out the Soul-Congealing Fruit.

After recovering in the Xilin Mountain Range, Xiao Yan began refining the Soul-Congealing Fruit to strengthen his Spiritual Strength and become a Third-Tier Alchemist. With Gu You’s advice, he used Heavenly Flames to break through the fruit’s defenses, leaving him to patiently refine its power.

• After three days of cultivation, Xiao Yan recovered his strength and examined the Soul-Congealing Fruit he had sought for months.
• Xiao Yan swallowed the fruit, but its Spiritual Strength passed through him and began spreading into the void.
• Gu You advised Xiao Yan to refine the fruit’s Spiritual Strength with Heavenly Flames before absorbing it, warning that some would be lost.
• Xiao Yan formed a flame cauldron inside his Qi Cyclone and used his Heavenly Flames and Dou Qi to break the fruit’s soul barrier.
• Xiao Yan’s Heavenly Flames began refining the Soul-Congealing Fruit, sending purified Spiritual Strength into the Soul Bead in his mind.

After refining the Soul-Congealing Fruit for over three months, Xiao Yan awakened his Spiritual Strength to the third tier and discovered that the One-Horned Whale Serpent was being cared for in Yan Shi’s volcano. He opened an ancient scroll and found the Four Saints Manifestation Technique, whose four mysterious figures remained unexplained as he reached out to touch one.

• Xiao Yan finished refining the Soul-Congealing Fruit, and his Spiritual Strength surged across the Xilin Mountain Range.
• Xiao Yan sensed Yan Shi, Tian Ying, and another companion guarding the One-Horned Whale Serpent inside the volcano, then withdrew his probe when they noticed it.
• Xiao Yan realized he had reached the third tier of Spiritual Strength, meeting one requirement for refining the Ice Spirit Pill, though he still lacked a Fire Plume Flower.
• Xiao Yan opened the ancient scroll from the Ancient Ruins and discovered the Four Saints Manifestation Technique, which summoned four illusory figures.
• Xiao Yan cautiously extended a finger to touch one of the figures.

Xiao Yan was trapped inside the Four Saints Manifestation Art’s vast golden space, where a remnant soul guided him to stop trusting his eyes and calm his mind. He escaped the illusion and learned that the art comprised four physical techniques, with the Giant Elephant Art requiring mastery of the other three first.

• Xiao Yan touched the golden figure, and the Soul Bead drew his consciousness into an expanding space filled with golden runes.
• A golden-robed remnant soul told Xiao Yan he had a fated connection to the scroll and warned him that relying too much on his eyes could deceive him.
• Xiao Yan calmed his thoughts, shut out the space, and reopened his eyes in the Xilin Mountain Range, where the scroll’s four figures had become more solid.
• Xiao Yan sent his Spiritual Strength into the figures and learned that the Four Saints Manifestation Technique comprised the Winged Elephant Art for speed, the Golden Elephant Art for defense, the Strength Elephant Art for assault, and the Giant Elephant Art for changing size.
• The remnant soul explained that Xiao Yan had to master and integrate the first three arts before cultivating the Giant Elephant Art, whose full power rivaled an Intent Class Dou Technique.