Chapter Summaries

Xiao Xuan settled the Heavenly Snake Mansion’s conflict with the Hall of Souls and left the region, while Medusa planned to move the Snake-People Tribe into the Jia Ma Empire. Xiao Yan objected to being dragged into her dispute with the Misty Cloud Sect and challenged her to a fight.

• Venerable Snake reported the battle and the Hall of Souls’ offer to cooperate, and Xiao Xuan approved a partnership that would keep them out of the Heavenly Snake Empire.
• Xiao Xuan opened a safe route into the outer ruins for the Heavenly Snake Mansion’s disciples, then left with Xiao Yi Xian and the others, collecting Mo Xuan along the way.
• In the Jia Ma Imperial Capital, Xiao Yan confronted Medusa over her plans to attack the Misty Cloud Sect and relocate the Snake-People Tribe.
• Hai Bodong declined to help Xiao Yan, while Fa Ma warned everyone that Xiao Xuan might punish them when he returned.
• Xiao Yan challenged Medusa to fight and asked Yao Chen for Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

Xiao Yan provoked Queen Medusa into fighting him, hoping the pressure would break his bottleneck, but the Seven-Star Dou Zong overwhelmed him. As Xiao Yan charged at her with a Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus, Yao Chen noticed a hidden trace of Bone Spirit Cold Flame within it.

• Yao Chen sent Xiao Yan wisps of Bone Spirit Cold Flame, then watched as Queen Medusa accepted Xiao Yan's challenge.
• Xiao Yan fought Queen Medusa with the Green Lotus Core Flame and Dou Techniques, while her pressure gradually loosened his bottleneck.
• Queen Medusa revealed that she had obtained the Green Lotus Core Flame first and increased her attacks after Xiao Yan taunted her.
• Xiao Yan used the Purple King Azure Wings to gain distance, then condensed a Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus from two flames.
• Yao Chen reassured Hai Bodong and Fa Ma that he would prevent anyone from dying, then spotted pale white Bone Spirit Cold Flame concealed in Xiao Yan's Fire Lotus.

Xiao Yan and Queen Medusa fought, then traded taunts after Xiao Yan survived the explosion and Medusa was injured. Xiao Xuan returned, sent Xiao Yan to cultivate until he reached Dou Wang, but Xiao Yan broke through immediately and faced Xiao Yi Xian’s challenge.

• Xiao Yan and Queen Medusa clashed in a blast that left Xiao Yan battered and Medusa injured, and the two began arguing after Yao Chen rescued him.
• Xiao Yan ordered Queen Medusa to guard him and stay away from the Misty Cloud Sect, but Xiao Xuan returned and forced Queen Medusa’s soul back inside the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python.
• Xiao Xuan sent Xiao Yan to cultivate in a natural origin Qi cage until he reached Dou Wang and told Yao Chen to watch over him.
• Xiao Yan broke out of the cage and announced that he had become a Dou Wang.
• Xiao Yi Xian challenged Xiao Yan to a fight, and he accepted despite her seven- or eight-star Dou Wang strength.

Xiao Yi Xian and Xiao Yan fought a fierce spar, each using powerful poison and flame techniques. Xiao Yi Xian gained the upper hand after their main attacks collided, but Xiao Yan’s hidden soul attack struck her hard and left the fight unresolved.

• Xiao Xuan watched Xiao Yi Xian challenge Xiao Yan, while Yao Chen predicted that Xiao Yi Xian would win.
• Xiao Yi Xian unleashed the Nether Poison Flame and Poison Mountain Marsh, but Xiao Yan countered with Heavenly Flames and a three-flame Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus.
• Xiao Yi Xian activated her Woeful Poison Body and Heavenly Poison Body, then charged through the explosion and retained more than half her fighting strength.
• Xiao Yan appeared ready to concede, but he secretly used Spirit Manifestation Spike against Xiao Yi Xian.
• Xiao Yi Xian suffered a severe soul attack, and her Heavenly Poison Body burst apart.

Xiao Xuan ended Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian’s sparring, taught Xiao Yan the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations, and sent him to prepare for a visit to the Misty Cloud Sect. As Xiao Yan planned to recruit allies and compete in the Alchemist Grand Meeting, Yao Chen and Fa Ma knew the sect had prepared a surprise for him.

• Xiao Xuan stopped Xiao Yan and Xiao Yi Xian’s fight, declared it a draw, and healed their injuries.
• Xiao Xuan taught Xiao Yan the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformations and told him to visit the Misty Cloud Sect as a test.
• Xiao Xuan returned to the Gate of Life and Death with Xiao Yi Xian, while Yao Chen learned that the Xiao Clan controlled the Jia Ma Empire.
• Yao Chen advised Xiao Yan to attend the Alchemist Grand Meeting before going to the Misty Cloud Sect, and Xiao Yan asked Hai Bodong and Fa Ma to accompany him.
• Fa Ma assured Xiao Yan the Alchemist Grand Meeting would be fair, while Mo Xuan took an interest in the alchemist Yao Chen.

Mo Xuan revealed himself to Yao Chen and proposed a pill-refining match to see what modern alchemists could do. Yao Chen agreed to refine a Mind-Calming Pill before Xiao Yan and the others, who were introduced to Mo Xuan as a powerful ally of Xiao Xuan.

• Yao Chen suspected Mo Xuan was a Dou Sheng and asked whether he came from the Pill Tower, while Mo Xuan asked about the Pill Tower Ancestor.
• Yao Chen described the Pill Tower Ancestor as a Ninth-grade pill that had gained sentience, and Mo Xuan introduced himself by name.
• Mo Xuan challenged Yao Chen to a pill-refining match and provided rare heavenly treasures for him to use.
• Yao Chen chose to refine a Mind-Calming Pill and asked Xiao Yan and the others to watch.
• Yao Chen lowered his Dou Qi barrier, introduced Mo Xuan as Xiao Xuan's old acquaintance, and invited everyone to pay their respects.

Yao Chen refined a peak seventh-tier Mind-Calming Pill for Mo Xuan’s assessment, and Mo Xuan promised to give him an opportunity to advance his soul. Mo Xuan then demonstrated his distinctive alchemy method, forming a three-colored eighth-tier Mind-Calming Pill and leaving Yao Chen stunned by its potential.

• Yao Chen refined a peak seventh-tier Mind-Calming Pill, and Mo Xuan cleared away the Pill Lightning with a sweep of his sleeve.
• Mo Xuan praised Yao Chen’s Spirit Ascension Method, judged that his soul had barely reached the Heaven Realm, and promised him an opportunity if the chance arose.
• Mo Xuan advised Yao Chen to study the Spirit Ascension Method and announced that he would demonstrate a different method of alchemy.
• Mo Xuan extracted and preserved the medicinal essences and spirits within the ingredients, then fused them to refine a Mind-Calming Pill.
• Three-colored Pill Lightning gathered as Mo Xuan’s pill reached the eighth tier, and Yao Chen sensed his understanding breaking through its shackles.

Mo Xuan completed an Eighth-Tier Tranquil Heart Pill and gave it to Xiao Yan, who offered it to Gu Xun'er. Days later, Xiao Yan prepared to compete in the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Grand Meeting while Yao Chen expected him to win.

• Mo Xuan finished the Eighth-Tier Tranquil Heart Pill, and Yao Chen examined it before Mo Xuan gave it to Xiao Yan as a meeting gift.
• Xiao Yan brought the pill to Gu Xun'er, who was surprised by its value and eventually accepted it after he urged her to keep it.
• Gu Xun'er wondered about Mo Xuan's identity but set the question aside, while she and Xiao Yan shared an affectionate moment.
• After several days, the Alchemist Grand Meeting began, and Yao Chen told Xiao Yan that failing to win would be grounds to expel him from his tutelage.
• Yao Chen recalled Yun Shan's warning and smiled as Xiao Yan prepared to compete.

Yun Shan arranged the Alchemist Grand Meeting as a stage for Xiao Yan’s Three-Year Agreement training, coordinating with Yao Chen and Fa Ma to make the event unusually grand. Xiao Yan arrived as a young Dou Wang contestant, and the contests began amid a packed crowd and fierce competition.

• Yun Shan met Yao Chen privately, promised to handle Xiao Yan’s Three-Year Agreement training, and left confident that Yao Chen would not interfere.
• Yun Shan ordered Gu He to take part in the Alchemist Grand Meeting, which was set up as training for Xiao Yan and a way to unite the Jia Ma Empire under the Xiao Clan.
• The Alchemist Grand Meeting opened with all three contests held at once, its barriers removed and lavish prizes offered to attract alchemists from far and wide.
• Xiao Yan flew into the venue as a contestant, surprising the crowd with his Dou Wang strength and youthful appearance.
• Nine bell tolls announced the start of the contests as disguised, powerful alchemists joined the competition.

Xiao Yan dominated the first round of the alchemist competition by purifying Thousand-Tempered Ironwood to upper ninth grade, while the contest’s strict standards eliminated nearly all the contestants. As the second round began, Xiao Yan studied the Fire Spirit Pill formula and suspected its seemingly useless water-attribute ingredient was part of a hidden test.

• Xiao Yan used the Green Lotus Core Flame to purify Thousand-Tempered Ironwood and finished first with an upper ninth-grade result.
• Fa Ma, Gu He, and Jia Xingtian watched the competition, while Yan Li recognized Xiao Yan as a rival he wanted to surpass.
• Fa Ma ended the first round and eliminated contestants whose purification results were below fifth grade, leaving only twenty or thirty competitors.
• The association replaced the platforms and announced that the second round required each remaining contestant to refine a fourth-grade pill using one portion of ingredients.
• Xiao Yan summoned the Cloud Ridge Cauldron, examined the Fire Spirit Pill formula, and questioned why it included a water-attribute ingredient.