Dance of the Phoenix Episode 23 Recap
> Dance of the Phoenix Recap
After finding the second Star Shard, Feng Wu was about to enter her spirit ring to inform the Colored Phoenix when she encountered Huang Li, a fellow disciple from Celestial Palace. Huang Li confessed that she had previously exchanged greetings with the "Feng Wu" she saw entering the Library Pavilion just before Dean Ning's death, confirming Feng Wu's suspicion that someone had impersonated her to frame her for the Dean's demise.
As the Colored Phoenix impatiently urged Feng Wu to enter the spirit ring, Feng Wu quickly excused herself from Huang Li. Inside the spirit ring, the Colored Phoenix joyfully explained that the recovery of the second Star Shard was awakening the ring's vitality. Soon, it would be able to freely leave the ring to play with Feng Wu, eliminating the need to always pull her inside.
Meanwhile, the Holy Queen met with Zuo Qingluan to discuss her progress with the Demonic Cultivation Skills. Under the Lord Demon's tutelage, Zuo Qingluan had successfully advanced to the first level. Zuo Qingluan affirmed her commitment to learning these skills from Darknight Court to defeat Feng Wu, confident she could control the power.
The Holy Queen then divulged a hidden history, revealing that Mu Jiuzhou, the founder of Junwu Academy and the only person to achieve the Spirit Immortal rank, had been betrayed. He had selected two individuals to govern Qianyuan Continent: the current Holy Sovereign and the Lord Demon of Darknight Court. However, the Holy Sovereign, after a decade of feigned righteousness, sabotaged Mu Jiuzhou's ascension.
The Holy Queen asserted that the definitions of good and evil are simply creations of the victors, implying that the Junwu Clan wasn't inherently righteous, nor Darknight Court inherently evil. She expressed her belief that Jun Linyuan, much like Zuo Qingluan, would make the "correct" choice once he uncovered this truth, explaining her efforts to unite Zuo Qingluan and Jun Linyuan.
She then charged Zuo Qingluan with the critical mission to "awaken" Jun Linyuan, who she believed had been "bewitched" by Feng Wu, and to ultimately eliminate Feng Wu. Zuo Qingluan solemnly vowed to fulfill her duty to defeat Feng Wu and uphold justice. In another part of the academy, Zhao Ge and Xuan Yi's affection for each other continued to deepen. Xuan Yi diligently oversaw Zhao Ge's cultivation to ensure she wouldn't fall behind in her spiritual training again.
Although feeling tired, Zhao Ge admitted her efforts were fueled by her thoughts of Xuan Yi. When Xuan Yi playfully questioned her lack of shyness, she clarified that she spoke openly to prevent any misunderstandings, particularly recalling an incident with Feng Xun during a previous lantern festival. Xuan Yi, in turn, promised to reward her for her dedication. Later, the Leader of Celestial Palace arrived with other disciples, including Mu Yao, to observe their students' progress at Junwu Academy.
They soon noticed Zhao Ge practicing with her slingshot. The Leader acknowledged Zhao Ge's remarkable improvement in spiritual power, which irritated Mu Yao. Fearing that the Leader might welcome Zhao Ge back into Celestial Palace and thus jeopardize Zuo Qingluan's position as Goddess, Mu Yao audaciously challenged Zhao Ge to a sparring match. Despite Zuo Qingluan's attempt to intervene, the Leader permitted the contest. Though not initially gifted, Zhao Ge had made significant strides through diligent practice.
Her slingshot offered a potent long-range advantage, preventing Mu Yao from closing in. For close-quarters defense, Zhao Ge cleverly encircled herself with ice spikes. When Mu Yao finally breached her defenses, Zhao Ge ingeniously used candied fruits as projectiles through the ice spikes to disrupt Mu Yao's attack. With Zhao Ge's victory undeniable, Mu Yao defiantly refused to concede until the Leader sternly stopped the match and declared Zhao Ge the winner.
The Leader praised Zhao Ge's swift progress, which Zhao Ge humbly attributed to Feng Wu teaching her acupoint targeting with a slingshot, and to Xuan Yi's mentorship. Mu Yao, however, disparaged Zhao Ge as merely the Leader's "abandoned daughter," provoking a severe reprimand from the Leader, who threatened to expel Mu Yao from Celestial Palace for her inappropriate behavior.
Afterwards, Zuo Qingluan privately advised a resentful Mu Yao to foster alliances rather than hostilities, stressing that Zhao Ge, as a fellow sect member, should ideally return to Celestial Palace. Zuo Qingluan asserted that their true adversary was not Zhao Ge, and that she was prepared to relinquish her Goddess title if it meant achieving victory over Feng Wu. Following the departure of the Celestial Palace Leader, Zhao Ge expressed her disappointment that her mother left without saying anything.
Xuan Yi comforted her, suggesting that the Leader was simply too proud to openly praise her impressive progress. Meanwhile, Feng Wu and the Colored Phoenix engaged in a lively debate over a lantern Feng Wu had crafted, which the Colored Phoenix deemed "ugly" while teasing Feng Wu about being "in love" due to her recent unusual behavior.
Zhao Ge then approached Feng Wu, inquiring about a previous injury and inviting her to the fireworks show that evening, which had been rescheduled from the Chinese Valentine's Day. Feng Wu agreed, and Zhao Ge enthusiastically outlined their plans for the outing.
As Feng Wu and Zhao Ge enjoyed the bustling streets of Capital, Yu Mingye suddenly appeared and swiftly pulled Feng Wu away, leaving Zhao Ge in a panic, as she had been entrusted by Jun Linyuan to bring Feng Wu out. Yu Mingye led Feng Wu to a high city pavilion, claiming that watching the fireworks from there would be magnificent.
He then played a melody on his flute and complimented her beauty, remarking that the moonlit night was even more beautiful with her by his side. Yu Mingye offered Feng Wu his jade flute, a cherished memento from his mother. Feng Wu, however, gently declined, stating that her heart belonged to someone else and that she saw him only as a friend. Prepared for her rejection, Yu Mingye feigned cheerfulness, suggesting they could still be friends.
He then playfully remarked that Jun Linyuan, being the jealous guy he was, was undoubtedly scouring the entire Capital for Feng Wu. Indeed, as Feng Wu descended the pavilion stairs, she found Jun Linyuan waiting for her. He directly asked if she had developed feelings for Yu Mingye, a question Feng Wu steadfastly denied. Convinced by her candid response, Jun Linyuan passionately kissed her, an intimate moment witnessed by many of the city's onlookers.
Simultaneously, a spectacular display of fireworks lit up the sky, complemented by countless glowing lanterns. These lanterns had been prepared by Xuan Yi at Jun Linyuan's command, with Feng Xun responsible for using his spiritual power to launch them into the heavens. Feng Xun good-naturedly complained about having to use his skills for Jun Linyuan's romantic endeavor.
Jun Linyuan then explained that he orchestrated this elaborate display to compensate Feng Wu for the missed lantern festival and present her with a surprise. He earnestly confessed his desire to be with her, regardless of future challenges, and expressed profound gratitude for her trust in sharing her secrets with him. At the same moment, away from the celebrations, Zuo Qingluan secretly took Zhao Ge aside.
Zuo Qingluan reiterated her conviction that the current Feng Wu was an imposter, claiming that the true Feng Wu should have been killed by her. She implored Zhao Ge to distance herself from Feng Wu, portraying her as a mysterious demoness. While Zhao Ge was not entirely persuaded, she was disturbed by her Senior Sister's earnestness, given her deep trust in Zuo Qingluan.
Zuo Qingluan pressed on, urging Zhao Ge to reflect on the stark difference in the current Feng Wu's personality compared to her past self, and how the recent string of events in Capital seemed too perfectly orchestrated to be mere accidents. She speculated that an unknown entity was secretly guiding the current Feng Wu to achieve an undisclosed objective.
