Chapter Summaries

Xiao Yan and the surviving Luo God Clan youths returned from the Luo River Abyss, where the Blood God Clan had ambushed them and killed Luo Shi and Luo Wen. The clan captured Xue Shi, Xiao Yan reunited with A Heng and kept Luo Feng’s cracked life-bound jade talisman, and Luo Tianshen stood over the kneeling captive as news of the battle spread through Luo Shen City.

• The Luo God Clan gathered at the riverbank as the youths returned; twenty-one survived, while Luo Shi and Luo Wen’s bodies were brought out last.
• Luo Feng reported that Xue Shi and the Blood God Clan had ambushed the youths in the Cold Abyss, and Luo Xiao threw the captured deacon beneath the platform.
• Xiao Yan returned carrying Luo Lan, reassured A Heng that he was unhurt, and told her the Heartwarming Grass she had given him had saved Luo Lan’s life.
• Luo Feng offered Xiao Yan the cracked life-bound jade talisman, telling him to keep it so Luo Feng could sense if he was in danger.
• Stories of Xiao Yan’s actions spread through Luo Shen City as Luo Lan repeatedly embellished the tale, while Luo Tianshen stood over the kneeling Xue Shi at the Luo Shen Residence.

Xiao Yan created a fourth layer of Reverse Scales that balanced yin and yang, bringing his Dou Qi and Spiritual Energy into harmony and accelerating assimilation to eighty percent. After remembering his family and seeing Cai Lin’s Soul Jade flicker dangerously, he was joined by Luo Tianshen for a walk.

• Xiao Yan spent three days studying how the Mysterious Yin Ice Flame affected the conflict between his Dou Qi and Spiritual Energy.
• Xiao Yan drew a strand of ice flame into his unassimilated Dou Qi and carved a fourth Reverse Scales layer called “Fusion.”
• Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi and Spiritual Energy began to flow together, raising his assimilation from sixty to eighty percent in three days.
• Xiao Yan remembered his loved ones beneath the stars and saw that Cai Lin’s Soul Jade was flickering more violently than before.
• Luo Tianshen entered Xiao Yan’s courtyard and invited him to take a walk.

Luo Tianshen learned why Xiao Yan had come to the Great Thousand World and prepared to confront the Blood God Clan over the deaths of Luo Shi and Luo Wen. After Luo Tianshen left Luo Shen City with Xue Shi and the blood jade, Xiao Yan sensed a sinister presence watching from a hill.

• Luo Tianshen bought Crimson Feather Beast skewers for himself and Xiao Yan, then told him he had secretly paid the stallholder to feed Luo Lan when he was a child.
• At the Luo God ancestor’s statue, Xiao Yan told Luo Tianshen he had come to find his two wives and seek the Dao.
• Luo Tianshen revealed that Xue Shi had confessed to the Blood God Clan’s involvement in the Luo River Abyss incident and said he would take Xue Shi to Blood God City the next morning.
• Xiao Yan gave Luo Tianshen the blood jade bearing Xue Li’s imprint as evidence and warned him the journey might be a trap, but Luo Tianshen chose to go.
• Luo Tianshen left Luo Shen City with Xue Shi in chains, and Xiao Yan sensed a brief, decaying, blood-stained presence on a distant hill.

Xiao Yan faced Xue Ku, a Lower Earthly Sovereign who trapped Luo Shen City in a Blood Domain while Luo Tianshen was away. After Xue Ku injured Elder Qin and struck Xiao Yan down, Xiao Yan prepared to stake everything on a final fight.

• Xiao Yan brought the Abyss Scale Flood Dragon core to Elder Qin to develop pills for the injured Luo God Clan youths.
• A Blood Domain covered the city, and Elder Qin identified Xue Li and the Lower Earthly Sovereign Xue Ku outside the Luo Pill Pavilion.
• Xue Ku injured Elder Qin with a glance and revealed that Luo Tianshen was away, leaving the city vulnerable.
• Xiao Yan instructed Luo Lan to break through the Blood Domain at its weakest point and find Elder Luo Yan, then stepped outside to confront Xue Ku.
• Xue Ku struck Xiao Yan with a single palm, badly injuring him, and Xiao Yan decided to stake everything on one fight.

Xiao Yan burned nearly all his remaining Dou Qi origin to fight Xue Ku, but the power faded before he could defeat him. As Xue Ku’s blood palm descended to kill him, an unseen intervention stopped it.

• Xiao Yan ignited the remaining twenty percent of his Dou Qi origin and struck Xue Ku with the Heavy Xuan Ruler, burning his palm and forcing him back.
• Xiao Yan fought Xue Ku across the street and blasted him with a massive Fire Lotus, wounding him and tearing open the blood-red canopy.
• Luo Yan fought Xue Li while Luo Lan punched the blood curtain until Luo Xiao and Luo Feng broke through and rushed inside.
• Xiao Yan’s Dou Qi ran out, his bone wings shattered, and he fell helplessly onto the street as Xue Ku prepared to kill him.
• Xue Ku’s blood palm descended toward Xiao Yan, but it stopped before striking him.

Luo Tianshen returned to Luo Shen City and stopped Xue Ku from killing Xiao Yan, then drove the Blood God Clan elder away and severed Xue Li’s arm. He carried the critically wounded Xiao Yan to the Luo Shen Residence, while a spark in Xiao Yan’s empty sea of Dou Qi began to brighten.

• Luo Tianshen appeared above the street and immobilized Xue Ku’s blood palm before it could strike Xiao Yan.
• Luo Tianshen revealed that he had discovered Xue Ku’s cave residence was empty and fought his way out of Blood God City.
• Luo Tianshen struck Xue Ku through the city wall and into a mountain, shattering the Blood Domain over the street.
• Luo Tianshen cut off Xue Li’s arm for Luo Shi and ordered the Blood God Clan to stay out of Luo Shen City.
• Luo Tianshen examined Xiao Yan, found his Dou Qi nearly extinguished, and carried him toward the Luo Shen Residence as the spark within him brightened.

After burning away his remaining Dou Qi, Xiao Yan completed his assimilation into the Great Thousand World and awakened as a stable Lower Earthly Sovereign. He recovered in Luo Shen City, then decided to leave after checking the Soul Jade bearing Cai Lin’s mark.

• In the darkness, Xiao Yan’s four layers of Reverse Scale absorbed Spiritual Energy and used it to rekindle his Flame Mantra flame.
• Xiao Yan realized that burning away his final Dou Qi had removed the barrier preventing complete assimilation.
• Xiao Yan woke after three days unconscious, and A Heng, Luo Lan, and Luo Tianshen gathered around him as he asked for food.
• Luo Lan told Xiao Yan that Luo Tianshen had tended his meridians throughout his unconsciousness, while Luo Su later found them wider than before.
• Xiao Yan confirmed that his assimilation was complete and found himself firmly established as a Lower Earthly Sovereign.
• Xiao Yan checked Cai Lin’s Soul Jade mark and told Luo Tianshen that it was time for him to leave.

Xiao Yan prepared to leave the Luo God Clan, giving its pill masters valuable recipes and paying respects to fallen Luo Shen Guards before meeting Luo Tianshen at the lake. Luo Tianshen gave him a map of the Western Heaven Continent and a Luo Shen Token, and Xiao Yan departed for the south.

• Xiao Yan gave Elder Qin the Fire Pattern Pill recipe and improved Blood Erosion Powder medicine, and asked him to make Cold-Dispelling Meridian-Mending Pills for injured children.
• Luo Qing visited Xiao Yan, bowed to him in respect for his alchemy mastery, and shared a rare smile with him.
• Xiao Yan and Luo Feng drank wine at Luo Shi and Luo Wen’s graves, and Xiao Yan reminded Luo Feng that he had protected twenty-one people.
• Luo Tianshen gave Xiao Yan a map marking Ten Thousand Serpents Marsh and warned him that the Xuanming Serpent Clan’s territory was dangerous to leave.
• Luo Tianshen gave Xiao Yan a Luo Shen Token and promised the Luo Shen City gates would always be open to him.
• Xiao Yan bowed to Luo Tianshen and left across the stone bridge as Luo Tianshen watched him go.

A Heng tested at the third stage of Sensing after just over a month of cultivation, and Xiao Yan encouraged her by recalling his own humble beginnings. As Xiao Yan prepared to leave to find his wife, he gave A Heng gifts and promised to return; Luo Lan arrived and insisted on going with him.

• A Heng tested at the Spirit Testing Stele and reached the third stage of Sensing, prompting some Luo God Clan children to mock her.
• Xiao Yan reassured A Heng, praised her rapid progress, and reminded the children that she had not received the advantages they had.
• Xiao Yan gave A Heng's grandfather Essence Nourishing Pills and gave A Heng a cultivation method and a bronze lamp containing his source flame.
• A Heng realized Xiao Yan was leaving to find his wife, and he promised to take her as his disciple if she reached the Spirit Movement Realm before he returned.
• A Heng's grandfather entrusted her to Xiao Yan, and Luo Lan rushed into the courtyard, knelt, and demanded to go with him.

Xiao Yan left Luo Shen City with Luo Lan, carrying gifts and farewells from the people they had come to know. As they traveled south, Xiao Yan followed Cai Lin’s Soul Jade toward the crimson wilderness and the city beyond it.

• Luo Lan persuaded Xiao Yan to let him join the journey after Luo Tianshen gave permission.
• Elder Qin, Luo Qing, Luo Su, Luo Yan, Luo Feng, Luo Xiao, Luo Chuan, Luo Zhi, and A Heng came to see Xiao Yan and Luo Lan off at Luo Shen City’s southern gate.
• Xiao Yan bowed toward the gray figure watching from the gatehouse, then set out south with Luo Lan.
• By the campfire, Xiao Yan told Luo Lan about Xun'er and Cai Lin and warned him not to ask which wife was stronger.
• The next day, Xiao Yan followed the direction on Cai Lin’s Soul Jade and vowed to reach her.