Dance of the Phoenix Episode 12 Recap
> Dance of the Phoenix Recap
Determined to find a cure for Zhao Ge, Feng Wu set her sights on Peerless Tower, which was rumored to hold the Heavenly Heart Pistil. While Feng Wu pondered the risks, Zuo Qingluan had already approached the Holy Empress (Your Majesty) for an elixir from the Junwu Divine Hall.
The Holy Empress, after Zuo Qingluan claimed her concern for her junior sister was merely her duty as the senior sister of Biluo Palace, revealed that the unique poison had no known cure within their halls. She then suggested Peerless Tower, but Zuo Qingluan hesitated due to the known risk of losing all cultivation if one failed the challenge. The Holy Empress sagely remarked that nothing worthwhile comes without a price, leaving the decision to Zuo Qingluan.
Feng Wu, also weighing the risk of losing her hard-won regained cultivation, decided to discuss her plan with Jun Linyuan. He had been following her, and upon meeting, immediately criticized her acuity as a medium-rank spiritual practitioner. He then surprised her by offering to build her a garden so she wouldn't have to stay at the Feng family residence, even suggesting that her mother and Qiu Ling could join her.
Feng Wu was perplexed by his inconsistent behavior, refusing the lavish gift and reminding him that she had no intention of staying in the capital permanently, accusing him of tricking her mother there in the first place. When Jun Linyuan mentioned her being his spiritual consort, she quickly stated she had never agreed to such a title, clarifying that while she liked him, she wasn't ready for such a commitment, especially since he made decisions without consulting her.
Jun Linyuan tried to explain that the title was merely a formality for him, but Feng Wu believed he didn't truly care. She eventually broke away, frustrated by his words and regretting seeking his help. Later, Feng Wu met Jun Linyuan again.
Unaware of her intentions regarding Peerless Tower, he brought up the Junwu Academy enrollment exam, explaining that Junwu Clan rules stipulated that only women who achieved Senior-rank spiritual practitioner status or higher were eligible for the spiritual consort selection.
He acknowledged the difficulty for her to reach that level so quickly after her spiritual energy loss but emphasized that the Holy Empress had already initiated discussions about his marriage with the Holy Sovereign, and he wished to quickly legitimize her position. Feng Wu felt he was implying she wasn't worthy and asked if the Holy Empress had proposed Zuo Qingluan, to which Jun Linyuan responded that only his choice mattered.
Feng Wu expressed her difficulty understanding his perspective, stating that she also desired to become a Senior-rank spiritual practitioner but had her own plans and did not need his guidance on how to live her life. Their conversation ended with Feng Wu feeling even more misunderstood. Leaving Jun Linyuan, Feng Wu felt anxious at the entrance of Peerless Tower. Yu Mingye suddenly appeared, cheerfully asking who had upset her.
Feng Wu accused him of past deceptions and recklessly offending Darknight Court. She provocatively suggested he kill her now, as she might lose all her spiritual energy anyway. Yu Mingye deduced her interest in Peerless Tower and offered his help, claiming to have studied the tower extensively. He had refrained from challenging it himself to prevent them from capitalizing on his fame as the Darknight Court's young master.
After a brief, playful exchange, Yu Mingye reiterated his offer to assist her. Three days later, Feng Wu was ready for the challenge. Zhao Ge, Qiu Ling, and Feng Madam accompanied her to Peerless Tower. Qiu Ling expressed worries about the dangers inside, but Feng Wu reminded her that Zhao Ge was her friend and had been poisoned because of her. Zhao Ge, though touched, told Feng Wu not to risk herself.
Feng Wu, however, vowed to return safely with the antidote. To enter, one had to strike a stone drum with spiritual power. Zhao Ge recalled her past failure to activate the drum, which had prevented her from even qualifying. With a determined strike from her Phoenix Sword, Feng Wu made the stone drum reverberate, marking her entry as the 1037th challenger.
The first challenge awaited her, overseen by Quatrain, a cultivator who behaved more like a poet and specialized in couplets. Quatrain demanded couplets that were grammatically precise and creatively novel, without strict adherence to meter or rhyme. Feng Wu, after a moment of internal debate (with an imagined Yu Mingye offering cheeky advice), rose to the occasion. Quatrain presented the first line: "Yi River, Luo River and Qingshui River all run to the sea."
Feng Wu countered with "Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division decide the universe." Quatrain, intrigued but perplexed by the unfamiliar terms, pressed for clarification, but Feng Wu simply stated he wouldn't understand and that she had met the challenge's conditions. For the second round, Quatrain offered: "Black is impermanent and white is impermanent. Between black and white, white speaks of Yin and Yang and reincarnation." Feng Wu replied, "The proposition is false and the proposition is true.
Amid the false and the true, the true shows the geometry of life." Again, Quatrain was stumped. He then warned Feng Wu about the dangers ahead, asking if worldly treasures were more important than life. Feng Wu declared that the treasure itself was secondary to fulfilling her promise to a friend.
Impressed by her resolve, Quatrain allowed her to pose a challenge, and she offered, "The law of sines and the law of cosines set your mind and tell you the truth," thereby passing the first barrier. Moving to the second challenge, Feng Wu encountered Greediness, known for his extraordinary hearing. Feng Wu, guided by Yu Mingye's earlier advice, utilized an Ear-piercing Bird. The bird's incredibly shrill sound proved unbearable for Greediness due to his heightened senses.
Overwhelmed, Greediness quickly conceded, begging for the noise to stop and granting Feng Wu passage to the next level. The third challenge brought Feng Wu face-to-face with Shadow Swordsman, widely regarded as the most formidable of the tower's guardians. Yu Mingye had previously given Feng Wu a Black Jade Sleeve Arrow, a potent secret weapon of Darknight Court, instructing her to use it if she found herself outmatched.
Shadow Swordsman, who appeared to know about the arrow, warned her that any hesitation would lead to defeat. Despite his intimidating "One-strike Drawing Chop" technique, Feng Wu decided against using the hidden weapon, believing it would be an unfair victory. Instead, she engaged him directly, questioning why a cultivator of his immense skill would remain confined to Peerless Tower, rather than using his abilities to protect the innocent. Her words struck a chord with Shadow Swordsman, momentarily distracting him.
Seizing the opportunity, Feng Wu attacked but chose not to deliver a killing blow, instead pushing him back with a powerful palm strike. Her honorable conduct earned his respect, and she advanced. Meanwhile, outside Peerless Tower, Feng Madam, Qiu Ling, and Zhao Ge waited anxiously. Yu Mingye, observing from a distance, had a subordinate provide umbrellas and chairs, cheekily announcing they were from "Young Lady Feng Wu's future husband." Zuo Qingluan was also present, noticing the interaction.
Elsewhere, Feng Xun, upon learning of Feng Wu's challenge, urgently informed Jun Linyuan and Xuan Yi. They discussed the two legendary treasures of Peerless Tower: the all-healing Heavenly Heart Pistil and the lost Qinglingsan Score. Feng Xun mentioned that only Min Zhongqing, the fourth son of the Min family, had ever reached the fourth level, but after leaving the tower, he had become a dissipated wreck, losing his cultivation and succumbing to a life of indulgence.
Jun Linyuan, concerned, dispatched Feng Xun and Xuan Yi to watch the tower entrance, while he himself sought out Min Zhongqing. Jun Linyuan confronted a disoriented Min Zhongqing, who, under pressure, confessed the truth: Peerless Tower's challenges were a deceit. The fourth level wasn't a test of skill but of human nature, designed to make challengers compromise their integrity.
Min Zhongqing admitted he had traded the challenge for wealth and pleasure, a choice that Jun Linyuan found deeply shameful for a member of the Junwu Clan. Back inside Peerless Tower, the true owner finally appeared, revealing himself as the final gatekeeper. He praised Feng Wu's impressive fight against Shadow Swordsman and, instead of further challenges, presented her with a chest overflowing with gold and silver.
He explained that the tower's fame and profitability depended on no one ever truly succeeding and obtaining the ultimate treasures. Shadow Swordsman, who remained nearby, echoed the owner's warning, advising Feng Wu to take the riches and leave. Feng Wu, who had only ever sought the Heavenly Heart Pistil for Zhao Ge, realized she had stumbled into an elaborate scam. The owner then unleashed the Heart-eroding Maze, urging her to give up. Undeterred, Feng Wu defiantly stated her sole demand was the Heavenly Heart Pistil, promising to leave immediately if she received it.
