Divine Destiny Episode 18 Recap
> Divine Destiny Recap
As Yinfeng’s sword was poised to strike Ji Ruochen, intent on eliminating what he perceived as a demon, Gu Qing suddenly intervened, deflecting the blade. She tearfully pleaded with Yinfeng to spare Ji Ruochen’s life, promising to return with him immediately to Qingxu, to practice the Book of Heaven, find her dharma-laksana, and fulfill their one hundred lifetime commitment to return to the God Realm together. Yinfeng, having secured her promise, released Ji Ruochen and departed with Gu Qing.
Severely wounded and barely clinging to life, Ji Ruochen lay amidst the rain. He felt an overwhelming fatigue, yearning for sleep, but a mysterious voice urged him to persevere, reminding him that his mission to bring peace to the Three Realms was far from over. He also saw Zhang Yinyin’s face in his mind, knowing he could not leave her alone. Bolstered by this fierce will to live, Ji Ruochen held on until Qiushui and Zhang Yinyin finally found him.
Qiushui, having reconnected Ji Ruochen’s tendons and meridians, acknowledged the severity of his condition, noting that his true essence was scattered and his cultivation abolished, a devastating blow for any practitioner. He suggested that this calamity might be an opportunity for enlightenment and positive transformation. Upon seeing Ji Ruochen's grave injuries, Zhang Yinyin's grief turned to rage. Convinced that Yinfeng was responsible, she immediately drew her sword, intending to seek vengeance. However, Qiushui intervened, stopping her.
He calmly reminded her that Ji Ruochen, if he were to awaken, would wish to see her first. He emphasized that protecting someone was far more difficult than hating, and there were more critical matters than revenge awaiting her. Knowing the capital faced immense danger from forces like Sun Guo’s Zhenwu Temple and the Luoran Sect, and with the potential interference of the Qingxu Sect, Qiushui urged her to return to Ji Ruochen’s side.
Overcome by Qiushui's words and the thought of Ji Ruochen, Zhang Yinyin returned to nurse him. Meanwhile, Zhang Yinyin's mother, Huang Xinglan, distressed by her daughter's disappearance after accidentally revealing her five-tailed fox form at Ji Ruochen’s wedding, sought out Su He, the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox, who was imprisoned by the Xixuan Sect.
Su He, resentful of her captivity and Xixuan's past treatment, initially mocked Huang Xinglan's request to help Zhang Yinyin, reminding her that she had only taken Yinyin as a disciple out of boredom. Huang Xinglan questioned if Su He was involved in Yinyin's revealing her fox form and accused her of having previously afflicted Yinyin with a "demon-rearing plant."
Su He confirmed teaching Yinyin the Heavenly Fox Secret Technique, which led to the revelation, but countered that Yinyin had "sought her out" to become a disciple, sarcastically asking why Huang Xinglan, as a mother, hadn't intervened when Yinyin's heart's desire was almost stolen, implying Yinyin sought her out due to both the plant and her emotional distress.
Desperate, Huang Xinglan offered to remove the Demon Subduing Nails that bound Su He, despite the extreme pain and the rules of Xixuan Sect. She declared that she feared nothing as long as her daughter was safe. Seeing Huang Xinglan's fierce maternal love, Su He agreed to help. With agonizing effort, Huang Xinglan manually extracted the immensely sturdy Demon Subduing Nails, enduring immense pain that would have shattered a sword.
Once freed, the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox let out a resounding laugh, then departed. Ji Ruochen eventually awoke, finding a strange calm despite his knowledge that his tendons were broken and his cultivation destroyed. He no longer felt the pressure to uphold his master's expectations or Huaniang's hopes, believing himself to be a "useless person" free from the burdens of being a banished god or facing calamities. He watched Zhang Yinyin and Qiushui tirelessly care for him.
Zhang Yinyin even chased after their sheep, Wanwan, to get goat milk for him, a sight that brought a rare smile to his face. Seeing their dedication, Ji Ruochen resolved not to give up. Later that night, feeling a faint resurgence of strength, he unwrapped his bandages and began to attempt walking on his own.
News of Ji Ruochen and Zhang Yinyin's disappearance reached the Master of the Endless Sea, who dispatched Qingyi to the Netherworld with a rare treasure for the Demon Emperor. Qingyi, on behalf of her master, requested the Demon Emperor's aid in locating and ensuring the safety of Ji Ruochen and Zhang Yinyin, who had left the capital. The Demon Emperor, despite his sect's deep-seated enmity with Xixuan, accepted the task.
However, he secretly plotted with his subordinate, Wushang, to find the pair and then report their location to Sun Guo’s Zhenwu Temple, leveraging the conflict to eliminate Ji Ruochen and avenge his own blood debts against Xixuan, rather than protecting them. Zhang Yinyin rushed to Ji Ruochen’s side, overjoyed to see him attempting to walk. Ji Ruochen inquired if she wished to return to Xixuan Mountains.
Zhang Yinyin admitted she missed her parents, Qiushui, and Xuanzhen, but hesitated due to her manifested fox form and the potential dishonor it would bring to her sect's teachings. Ji Ruochen reassured her, expressing his desire to leave behind the complexities of the immortal world and start anew with her in a place where no one knew them, far from the machinations of their masters and opposing sects.
He envisioned a simple life for them, where he would be the shopkeeper and she the boss lady, managing the accounts. Their conversation turned playful, culminating in Ji Ruochen playfully asking her to bear him chubby babies, and after some playful negotiation, they settled on one. Their intimate moment continued as they fell into an embrace after he stumbled, with Ji Ruochen then seizing the opportunity to kiss her. Meanwhile, in Qingxu Mountain, the Hierarch discussed strategies with his subordinates.
He sought to persuade Yun Zhong Ju to join forces with Qingxu and the Imperial Advisor against Xixuan Sect, especially since Gu Qing had, in his view, joined Qingxu. Gu Qing, however, was declared by Yinfeng to be his guest, not truly a Qingxu disciple. Gu Qing herself suspected the Hierarch's true motive was to manipulate Yun Zhong Ju into the conflict.
Yinfeng, despite having destroyed Ji Ruochen's cultivation and seemingly settling his grudge, declared his disinterest in mortal affairs and the two sects' dispute, preferring to focus on practicing the Book of Heaven with Gu Qing.
The Hierarch and his subordinate, frustrated by Yinfeng’s indifference, speculated that he would eventually be drawn back into the chaos if the Three Realms truly descended into disorder, especially given Xixuan Sect's possession of the Shenzhou Energy Map, which they believed no sect could resist coveting. They resolved to proceed cautiously, waiting for Xixuan to make a misstep, ultimately seeking to claim the map for themselves.
