Dance of the Phoenix Episode 3 Recap
> Dance of the Phoenix Recap
After a brief rest, Jun Linyuan and his companions split up to gather firewood, intending to camp for the night. Feng Xun and Xuan Yi formed one group, while Feng Wu accompanied Jun Linyuan and Mu Yao. Mu Yao, with ill intent, feigned an injury by lying flat on the ground and accusing Feng Wu of pushing her. Feng Wu, seeing through the trick, decided to teach her a lesson.
Pretending to offer first aid for a sprained ankle, Feng Wu applied a painful "treatment" that made Mu Yao cry out. Despite Mu Yao's protests, Feng Wu continued until Mu Yao, in a fit of pique, refused her touch and ran off. After Mu Yao's departure, Jun Linyuan subtly tested Feng Wu, confirming her lack of spirit energy. He then sternly warned her against any more "tricks," threatening to abandon her in the Frozen Forest if she was "willful again."
Observing his injured finger, Feng Wu, keen to appease him, offered to bind his wound. As she carefully applied the medicine, Jun Linyuan was suddenly gripped by excruciating heart pain, realizing it was the Loveless Insect Venom. A flashback revealed Reverend Ziyang's past advice: the venom, untreatable by medicine, caused intense chest pain with any stir of affection, compelling false speech.
Cultivation at Penglai Pavilion could only suppress it; the tears of a true love willing to die for him were the sole antidote. Jun Linyuan, dismissing any notion of feelings for Feng Wu, attributed his pain to the harsh environment of the Frozen Forest. Driven by the severe pain, Jun Linyuan abruptly pushed Feng Wu away, ordering her to stay clear of him. Just then, Feng Xun and Xuan Yi arrived.
Feng Xun, misunderstanding the situation, tried to comfort Feng Wu, explaining that Jun Linyuan "is always like this," and treats all women the same, implying his coldness wasn't personal. Feng Wu, unaware of the venom's effect, simply regarded Jun Linyuan as a peculiar individual. Jun Linyuan then announced he would go "out and have a look," telling the others to rest so they could start traveling the next morning.
Later that night, while Feng Wu wondered if he had gone to find the Celestial Fruit, Jun Linyuan met Yu Mingye. Yu Mingye had tracked him down, challenging him to reveal himself. Jun Linyuan secretly tricked Yu Mingye into consuming Penglai's Tipsy Immortal Cloud Pill, which would render him unable to use his spirit energy for six hours.
Yu Mingye, enraged by this "dirty trick," accused Jun Linyuan of playing such a lowly trick despite their equal fame, and vowed to defeat him and claim the Celestial Fruit. Finding Yu Mingye's shouts tiresome, Jun Linyuan swiftly knocked him unconscious, tied him up, and left him hanging upside down from a tree, telling him to "Be good and stay here. Wait until your subordinates come back for you."
Later, Feng Wu, also venturing out, found the unconscious Yu Mingye suspended from the tree. Though unaware of his identity, she felt compelled to save him, thinking, "It's a great deed to save a life." After much effort, she freed him. As Yu Mingye slowly regained consciousness, he caught her scent and, in a daze, called her "Little Fairy." Startled, Feng Wu immediately fled the scene. Feng Wu returned to the cave to find Jun Linyuan already back.
The group rested, and the next day, they continued their journey. However, they were ambushed by numerous evil spirits, causing Feng Wu and Jun Linyuan to get lost in a dense fog, separated from Feng Xun and Xuan Yi. Amidst the chaos, they unexpectedly shared a kiss. While both vehemently declared it an "accident" for which neither was responsible, the kiss left a noticeable ripple in Jun Linyuan's heart, though Feng Wu found the situation immensely embarrassing.
Resigned to being stuck in the fog for a while, Feng Wu decided to chat with Jun Linyuan to ease the eerie atmosphere. She questioned his intense pursuit of the Celestial Fruit, knowing his formidable cultivation did not require it for personal advancement. She subtly probed if he was compelled to obtain it for someone else, remarking on his rumored obsession with cultivation and his three-year stay at Penglai Pavilion.
When she hinted at his unwilling service to the Holy Sovereign, Jun Linyuan grew defensive, tersely stating he was fine and didn't need her worry. Feng Wu internally acknowledged that the Celestial Fruit was clearly vital to him. She felt conflicted, realizing that while Jun Linyuan had saved her several times, making her deception feel like an "unjust repayment," she desperately needed the Celestial Fruit to uncover her past and regain her cultivation.
When Jun Linyuan refused to discuss the Celestial Fruit further, Feng Wu suggested he sing to lift her spirits in the spooky environment. After her persistent coaxing and a lengthy complaint about her predicament, Jun Linyuan reluctantly agreed, finding her incessant chatter more annoying than singing. From a distance, Feng Xun mistakenly believed he heard Jun Linyuan's "pleasant singing voice," but Feng Wu quickly regretted her request, noting his singing was so "creepy" it would "lure the wolves here."
Indeed, it wasn't wolves but Charm Demons that were drawn by his song. Jun Linyuan, despite reminding her not to look into their eyes, created a barrier around Feng Wu while he fought them. When a Charm Demon specifically attacked the defenseless Feng Wu, Jun Linyuan intervened, inadvertently becoming enchanted himself and collapsing into unconsciousness. As Feng Wu panicked, the Firecloud Giant Hawk suddenly appeared, annihilated the remaining Charm Demons, and then flew into her Dragon Phoenix Spirit Ring.
Before she could comprehend what happened, Feng Xun and Xuan Yi found them. Feng Wu quickly explained that Jun Linyuan was simply "enchanted by a Charm Demon and passed out." They then helped her carry him back to the safety of the cave. That night, Feng Wu was drawn into the Dragon Phoenix Spirit Ring. There, she discovered her Master, Mu Jiuzhou, in a deep slumber.
A small bird-like creature, identifying itself as the Colored Phoenix, appeared and explained that it was Master Mu's spirit animal, previously the Firecloud Giant Hawk, tasked with guarding the Celestial Fruit until Feng Wu's arrival. It revealed that three years ago, Master Mu sacrificed half his Phoenix Blood to save Feng Wu, causing his current unconscious state.
Feng Wu affirmed her goal of using the Celestial Fruit to make the Nine Transformation Spirit Restoration Pill to understand her past and restore her cultivation. The Colored Phoenix emphasized that this was merely the first step; the ultimate purpose was to awaken Master Mu Jiuzhou, who, though believed dead after ascending, was actually dormant within the spirit ring.
With the energy barrier of Qianyuan Continent weakening and demonic beasts stirring, awakening Master Mu, the continent's most powerful cultivator, was crucial to prevent an impending crisis and for Feng Wu to find her answers. The Colored Phoenix added that its current form was an illusion created by Master Mu, which would only be dispelled once Feng Wu personally obtained the Celestial Fruit, after which it would guide her further.
The next morning, with Jun Linyuan recovering, the group proceeded towards Firecloud Cave, each member carrying their own intentions. Feng Xun expressed his unease, noting the cave looked "creepy," but Jun Linyuan pointed out Firecloud Giant Hawk feathers, confirming the Celestial Fruit's proximity, and cautioned everyone to "Be careful when you enter the cave. Don't disturb the Hawk." Feng Wu, determined to secure the Celestial Fruit for herself, secretly hoped to separate from the group.
However, Jun Linyuan, sensing her desire, instructed her to "Just follow us. Don't cause trouble," firmly keeping her within the group. Feng Wu, quickly fabricating an excuse about wanting to "widen my horizons and boast about this experience back home," continued to search for the Colored Phoenix in her mind.
