Chapter Summaries

Xiao Xuan revealed that Venerable Heavenly Severing’s inheritance had made him an array master, then continued north with Xiao Yan. In Feng City, Xiao Yan arrived at the Obsidian Tower’s opening and hoped its energy would raise his cultivation before he continued toward the North Sea.

• Xiao Xuan demonstrated his array skills by blasting apart a distant mountain peak with a golden seal.
• Xiao Xuan explained that he had inherited Venerable Heavenly Severing’s Soul Origin and standing as an array master.
• Xiao Yan and Xiao Xuan flew north, and half a month after leaving Zhu Family Village, Xiao Yan reached Feng City.
• Xiao Yan found a crowd gathered around the Obsidian Tower, where three Northern Wasteland Hall members watched over the entrance.
• Xiao Yan learned that the tower’s ancient magical-beast souls had become powerful energy that could improve Dou Di cultivation, and he resolved to enter.

The Obsidian Tower opened in Feng City, and Xiao Yan entered with the crowd, quickly overcoming the pressure on its lower floors. He reached the second floor and continued toward the stairs to the third.

• The East Hall Master, South Hall Master, and West Hall Master exchanged barbed remarks about their cultivation and ambitions before charging into the Obsidian Tower.
• Xiao Yan entered the tower and resisted the crushing pressure on its first floor.
• Xiao Yan saw cultivators struggle to climb to the second floor, then sped up the stairs without slowing down.
• Xiao Yan reached the second floor, ignored its pressure and the magical beast energy forms, and flew toward the stairs to the third floor.

Xiao Yan crossed the fifth floor of the stone tower and reached the sixth, where he prepared to fight a powerful beast-shaped energy body. The southern hall master also set off for the seventh floor, hoping to break through to the Origin Transformation Realm.

• Xiao Yan surged past the experts and energy bodies on the fifth floor and climbed directly to the sixth floor.
• He found seven Nine-Star Dou Di experts on the sixth floor, including the three hall masters of the Northern Wasteland Hall.
• Xiao Yan chose a particularly solid lion-shaped energy body as his target and unleashed Heavenly Flames and the Strength Elephant Art.
• The southern hall master noticed Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames, then rose and headed for the stairs to the seventh floor.
• Xiao Yan charged the lion-shaped energy body, pursued it after it dodged, and continued the attack under the floor's oppressive pressure.

Xiao Yan defeated an energy being, refined its core, and cultivated while the Southern Hall master failed to reach the seventh floor. As the Obsidian Tower’s closing approached, Xiao Yan tried to leave, but the Southern Hall master confronted him over the Northern Wasteland Hall deacon’s death.

• Xiao Yan swiftly defeated an energy being and took its diamond-shaped energy core, drawing skeptical comments from two Nine-Star Dou Di elders.
• Xiao Yan sat down to refine the core while the Southern Hall master climbed the stairs toward the seventh floor and was thrown back from the twentieth stair.
• The people in the tower cultivated and gradually left as its closing approached, until only Xiao Yan and the Southern Hall master remained.
• After Xiao Yan finished refining the core, the Southern Hall master’s gaze disturbed his cultivation, and Xiao Xuan warned him that the man was near the Origin Transformation Realm.
• Xiao Yan prepared to leave, but the Southern Hall master accused him of showing no hesitation when he killed the Northern Wasteland Hall’s deacon.

Xiao Yan confronted the Southern Hall Master in the Obsidian Tower, and their battle revealed the gap between Xiao Yan’s Late Seven Star Dou Di cultivation and his opponent’s Peak Late Nine-Star strength. After trading techniques and engaging in a contest of physical strength, the Southern Hall Master unleashed a powerful hammer strike at Xiao Yan.

• The Southern Hall Master recognized Xiao Yan as the killer of Li Su and declared that he would kill him in the Obsidian Tower.
• Xiao Yan blocked the Southern Hall Master’s opening Dou Qi palm with Six Directions Wandering Body Ruler: Six Directions Fire, revealing his Late Seven Star Dou Di cultivation.
• The Southern Hall Master summoned the Bingnan Hammer, while Xiao Yan identified his weapon as the Heavy Xuan Ruler.
• Xiao Yan’s Flame Splitting Wave Ruler was shattered by the Southern Hall Master’s hammer technique, and the resulting force sent Xiao Yan flying and left him bleeding.
• Xiao Yan charged back into battle, and he and the Southern Hall Master clashed with their weapons and bodies in a fierce contest of strength.
• The Southern Hall Master leapt into the air and brought down his hammer with Holding Up the Heavens, aiming a concentrated blow at Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan fought the South Hall Master on the sixth floor of the Obsidian Tower, reclaimed the Heavy Xuan Ruler, and forced his opponent to flee toward the exit. Rather than follow him, Xiao Yan began climbing toward the seventh floor despite its crushing pressure.

• The South Hall Master knocked Xiao Yan back with the Bingnan Hammer and tried to take the Heavy Xuan Ruler, but its weight and effect on his Dou Qi stopped him from lifting it.
• Xiao Yan reclaimed the Heavy Xuan Ruler and struck the South Hall Master with the Sevenfold Heaven-Breaking Ruler, forcing him to dodge.
• The South Hall Master retaliated with a Sky-Supporting Strike that blasted Xiao Yan back, then raced toward the first-floor stairs to guard the exit.
• After recovering for nearly an hour, Xiao Yan chose the stairs to the seventh floor instead of following the South Hall Master.
• Xiao Yan endured pressure nearly twice as strong as that on the sixth floor and managed to take his second step upward.

Xiao Yan pushed through the Obsidian Tower’s pressure and nearly reached the seventh floor, but its force blasted him back and badly injured him. After swallowing pills and retreating to the first floor, he met the gaze of the waiting Southern Hall Master.

• Xiao Yan climbed to the eighth step, where the pressure shattered his Heavenly Flame armor and injured his organs, so he used the Golden Elephant Art to keep going.
• Xiao Yan reached the tenth step, then called on his Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline and Ancient Dragon Phoenix Armor to surge toward the twenty-first step.
• As Xiao Yan’s foot neared the seventh floor, its pressure struck him and hurled him back, leaving him severely injured.
• Xiao Yan told Xiao Xuan he had wanted to test his limit, then swallowed several fourth-tier pills to heal.
• Xiao Yan retreated to the first floor and saw the Southern Hall Master waiting outside the Obsidian Tower.

Xiao Yan recovered inside the Obsidian Tower while the Southern Hall Master waited outside to kill him. As Xiao Yan emerged, the Northern King blocked the Southern Hall Master’s attack, and Xiao Yan prepared to face him alone after confirming the Eastern and Western Hall Masters had left.

• The Southern Hall Master waited at the Obsidian Tower’s exit, intending to use its pressure and his hammer to keep Xiao Yan from escaping.
• Xiao Yan refined his medicine for half a day and recovered much of his strength as the tower’s pressure continued to rise.
• The Southern Hall Master attacked Xiao Yan as he reached the exit, but the Northern King appeared and stopped the Bingnan Hammer with a punch.
• Xiao Yan struck at the Southern Hall Master, who blocked his palm with the hammer and retreated to the edge of the square.
• Xiao Yan checked the crowd and realized the Eastern and Western Hall Masters had left, then faced the Southern Hall Master, who grew wary of the Northern King and coveted the puppet.

Xiao Yan and the Northern King fought the Southern Hall Master, whose superior cultivation was offset by their combined strength. The Southern Hall Master maneuvered the battle toward the Obsidian Tower as its closing time approached.

• Xiao Yan and the Southern Hall Master exchanged blows, each recognizing the other's strength.
• The Southern Hall Master considered the Obsidian Tower's rising pressure and devised a plan.
• The Northern King struck the Southern Hall Master's hammer with his fist and lightning, helping drive him back.
• Xiao Yan ordered the Northern King to attack and rejoined the fight, balancing the battle against the Southern Hall Master.
• The Southern Hall Master deliberately guided the three fighters closer to the Obsidian Tower.

Xiao Yan fought the Southern Hall Master while the Northern King helped him, but the Southern Hall Master trapped the puppet inside the Obsidian Tower. Xiao Yan struck back with hidden steel needles, one of which pierced the Southern Hall Master.

• Xiao Yan and the Northern King continued battling the Southern Hall Master as onlookers marveled at Xiao Yan's strength.
• The Southern Hall Master used his battered Bingnan Hammer to blast the Northern King into the Obsidian Tower, whose doors shut for five years.
• Xiao Yan attacked with the seventh strike of the Sevenfold Heaven-Breaking Ruler, and the Southern Hall Master met it with a cyan Dou Qi python.
• Five steel needles shot from the fading energy storm, and the fifth pierced the Southern Hall Master's energy shield and struck him.

Xiao Yan’s steel needle unexpectedly helped the South Hall Master break through to the Origin Transformation Realm, and the newly empowered master attacked as Xiao Yan tried to escape. A golden formation briefly shielded Xiao Yan before the attack struck him and he vanished into the black curtain.

• Xiao Yan’s steel needle pierced the South Hall Master’s Qi cyclone and triggered his breakthrough to the Origin Transformation Realm.
• The South Hall Master drew Dou Qi and Origin Qi into his body, rapidly increasing his power.
• Xiao Yan fired three steel needles, but the South Hall Master stopped them with an energy storm.
• The South Hall Master attacked Xiao Yan as he tried to escape through a black curtain.
• A golden formation blocked the attack briefly before it shattered, and Xiao Yan was struck in the back as he vanished into the curtain.

After recovering from the battle in Feng City, Xiao Yan traveled to Nanlin City, where he was drawn into an alchemy contest. The gathered alchemists asked him to judge their competition, and one of them questioned his identity.

• Xiao Yan recovered from his injuries while Xiao Xuan slowly regained his Spiritual Strength, and Xiao Yan sensed that the Northern King remained unharmed inside the Obsidian Tower.
• Xiao Yan traveled north to Nanlin City, where he saw five alchemists refining pills in a contest.
• Ten Fourth-Tier Alchemists noticed Xiao Yan, and an unkempt old man in the crowd quietly disappeared after spotting him.
• Xiao Yan revealed that he was a Fourth-Tier Alchemist, surprising the crowd.
• Master Hu and another alchemist asked Xiao Yan to judge the contest fairly, and the middle-aged man asked who he was.

Xiao Yan judged the five pills in a competition between the five great clans and discovered that Master Hu had secretly substituted an older, higher-quality pill for his clan’s young alchemist. As Xiao Yan began announcing his assessment, he exposed the Hu clan’s pill but paused before revealing what that meant.

• Xiao Yan introduced himself as an unaffiliated newcomer to the Northern Region and agreed to judge the competition.
• Master Hu praised Xiao Yan and asked him to assess the five young alchemists’ pills.
• Xiao Yan examined the pills and realized the Hu clan’s young man had submitted an old pill refined by Master Hu, violating the competition rules.
• Master Hu urged Xiao Yan to announce the results fairly as the other clans watched suspiciously.
• Xiao Yan announced that four pills were middle-grade and one was high-grade, then held up the Hu clan’s pill and began to say, “However...”

Xiao Yan challenged the Hu Clan’s victory by revealing that Hu Yonglin’s pill had lost medicinal potency, suggesting it was not freshly refined. As Master Hu tried to seize the pill, Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi forced him and the others back, leaving them shocked by his strength.

• Master Hu declared Hu Yonglin the winner and told him to collect all five pills.
• Xiao Yan stopped Hu Yonglin and pointed out that the best pill had depleted medicinal potency, suggesting it had been stored too long.
• Master Hu denied that the pill was old, while the other eight Fourth-Tier Alchemists asked Xiao Yan to hand it over for examination.
• Xiao Yan offered the pill to a middle-aged alchemist, who demanded an explanation from Master Hu if the accusation proved true.
• Master Hu rushed to grab the pill and accused Xiao Yan of slandering the Hu Clan and switching it.
• Xiao Yan released a wave of Dou Qi that drove Master Hu, the other alchemists, and the five young men back, astonishing them.

Xiao Yan overwhelmed Master Hu and his allies, forcing the gathered clans to acknowledge his power. When a Hu Clan member invoked the Northern Wasteland Hall, Xiao Yan killed him, leaving the conflict with the Hall poised to escalate.

• Xiao Yan's display of power sent Master Hu and nine other experts staggering back, and the gathered clans bowed to him.
• Xiao Yan kept his pressure on Master Hu and demanded to know whether he still accused him of slander.
• Xiao Yan forced Master Hu to his knees and sent Hu Yonglin flying when he tried to attack.
• A middle-aged Hu Clan man threatened Xiao Yan by invoking the Northern Wasteland Hall.
• Xiao Yan killed the middle-aged man with a hand of white flames, saying the man's affiliation gave him even less reason to show mercy.

Xiao Yan confronted Master Hu and the Northern Wasteland Hall, refusing to back down when Hall Master Su intervened. After Hall Master Su recognized him as the man who killed Elder Li and demanded he surrender, Xiao Yan struck first and sent him flying.

• Xiao Yan killed the middle-aged man with a blow and turned his attention to Master Hu.
• Xiao Yan trapped Master Hu beneath a deathly white hand of fire, but Hall Master Su intervened and dispelled it.
• Hall Master Su recognized Xiao Yan as the man who had killed Elder Li and demanded that he come with him.
• Xiao Yan challenged Hall Master Su to come with him instead, then struck him and sent him flying.

Xiao Yan defeated Hall Master Su’s subordinate Master Hu and overwhelmed Hall Master Su in battle, shocking the factions gathered in the city. Hall Master Su and Xiao Yan unleashed powerful Dou Techniques against each other, and their attacks collided as the chapter ended.

• Xiao Yan repelled Hall Master Su, then froze Master Hu with Bone Spirit Cold Flame and shattered him.
• Hall Master Su attacked Xiao Yan with the Yi Luo Palm, but Xiao Yan blocked the strikes with the Heaven-Spanning Hand.
• Hall Master Su struck Xiao Yan from behind, but Xiao Yan’s Golden Elephant Art absorbed the blow, and Xiao Yan seized his ankle and hurled him into the city.
• Hall Master Su gathered his Dou Qi and launched the Great Pagoda Seal as Xiao Yan formed the Wasteland-Spanning Finger.
• Hall Master Su’s golden seal collided with Xiao Yan’s flaming finger.

Xiao Yan defeated Hall Master Su in a devastating clash that destroyed much of the city. He then demolished the Northern Wasteland Hall’s Southern Hall and continued on, setting the stage for the Northern Wasteland Hall to learn of him.

• Xiao Yan’s Wasteland-Spanning Finger shattered Hall Master Su’s Great Pagoda Seal and struck him with its remaining force.
• The ensuing blast devastated the city, leaving a vast crater where the battle had taken place.
• Xiao Yan started to leave, then stopped above the castle housing the Northern Wasteland Hall’s Southern Hall.
• Xiao Yan used Flame Splitting Tsunami to destroy the castle and reduce the Southern Hall to ruins.

A week after the Southern Hall’s destruction, Xiao Yan crossed the Red Silk Gobi with a guided party while consolidating his cultivation. When a mysterious scruffy old man picked a fight with him, the old man revealed overwhelming strength, and Xiao Xuan warned Xiao Yan that he might have surpassed Dou Di and reached the Origin Transformation Realm.

• Xiao Yan followed a party of travelers across the Red Silk Gobi on the route to Mount Beiji.
• Xiao Yan noticed that a scruffy old man in a flame-scorched robe had a powerful fire presence and suspected a Heavenly Flame was involved.
• The scruffy old man collapsed against Xiao Yan and accused him of breaking his leg, refusing to let the party continue without compensation.
• A traveler tried to seize the old man, but the old man repelled him with a single glance.
• Xiao Xuan warned Xiao Yan that the old man’s cultivation might have surpassed Dou Di and reached the Origin Transformation Realm.

Xiao Yan tried to settle a dispute with a scruffy old man, who revealed himself as an Origin Transformation Realm expert and demanded rare flame-fusing pills. After accepting three of the four pills he wanted, the old man flew away and left Xiao Yan owing him one more.

• The scruffy old man demanded compensation from Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yan apologized to avoid provoking the Origin Transformation Realm expert.
• The old man cut his demand to four fourth-tier medicinal pills, and Xiao Yan offered them in hopes of earning the expert's goodwill.
• The old man specified four rare pills used to fuse with flames, leading Xiao Yan to suspect he wanted to control a Heavenly Flame.
• Xiao Yan could produce only the Flame Fusion Pill, Flame Chasing Pill, and Wind Nether Flame Transformation Pill, so he handed over the three pills and explained that he lacked the Phoenix Chick Pill.
• The old man accepted the three pills, said Xiao Yan still owed him one, and flew away.