Divine Destiny Episode 3 Recap
> Divine Destiny Recap
Ji Ruochen, while serving a punishment in Tianxin Cave, found Senior Qiushui’s delicious meal of sliced beef in hot chili oil, West Lake fish in vinegar gravy, and tofu crab roe soup in a meal box. Zhang Yinyin arrived, expressing concern over his suffering and insisting he eat. Ruochen mentioned he was looking for a "painting of the secret techniques of the eight schools" that Senior Xuanzhen said would help him pass the Annual Exam.
Zhang Yinyin, after ensuring he'd eaten, revealed the "treasure painting" was actually a masterpiece Xuanzhen drew last year on the cave wall. She then generously detailed the unique skills of the Zhenren of the eight schools, including Ziyun Zhenren's mastery of elixirs and moral swordsmanship, Taiwei Zhenren's tactical deployment of troops, Yuxuan Zhenren's inner cultivation and healing abilities, and her own father's Grand Five-Element Swordsmanship. She even disclosed which Zhenren harbored grudges or jealousy against each other.
Later, Zhang Yinyin demonstrated how Tianxin Cave, formed by fluorite rocks and rich in fluorites, could be illuminated by activating true spirit, creating a beautiful, star-like display. Ruochen compared it to a starry sky in the desert, prompting Zhang Yinyin to share her past as an orphan who wandered outside, nearly eaten by wolves until a kind boss saved her and taught her to read, write, and even "knock sheep."
She expressed her longing for them, to which Zhang Yinyin responded by reminding him that excelling in the Annual Exam would surely make them proud. Ruochen, charmed by her, attempted to kiss her, but Zhang Yinyin playfully diverted his attention, asking him to relay a message to Shui about the tofu crab roe soup and to ensure he and his friends would be there to meet her when she left the cave.
Meanwhile, Ruochen's master inquired about his recent cultivation progress. It was noted that Ruochen had become adept at navigating different sects, understanding the Zhenrens' temperaments, obtaining secret books, and acquiring many weapons, showing significant improvement. However, due to his initial low ability, there was much gossip, making it crucial for him to perform well in the Annual Exam.
On the day Zhang Yinyin was set to leave Tianxin Cave, Ruochen, having forgotten the arrangement, was reminded by Senior Qiushui and Senior Xuanzhen, who were already there. Just as they prepared to meet Zhang Yinyin, a disciple from Danyuan Palace arrived, requesting Ruochen's presence. Despite Ruochen's attempts to decline due to prior engagements, the disciple insisted, stating Yuxuan Zhenren had specifically sent them to fetch him.
Upon arriving at Danyuan Palace, Yuxuan Zhenren explained she wanted to teach Ruochen the "Eight Elements Manual," a crucial text for inner cultivation. She introduced her disciple, Hanyan, instructing her to study the manual with Ruochen and take him to the Sutra Pavilion. However, Hanyan led Ruochen to a secluded, isolated path instead of the pavilion. Ruochen, sensing something amiss, questioned her motives. Hanyan then feigned seeing a snake and stumbled, prompting Ruochen to catch her.
She clung to him, claiming intense pain, and confessed her feelings for him, saying she had "fallen for" him since they first met. As she embraced him, Hanyan suddenly screamed for help, tearing her clothes and accusing Ruochen of molestation when other Xixuan disciples appeared. Ruochen was brought before Ziyang Zhenren and the acting hierarch for questioning. Hanyan tearfully accused him, asserting he had taken her on a less-traveled road and molested her.
Still disoriented from a hallucinatory incense Hanyan had administered, Ruochen clarified that he had indeed chosen the secluded path because he was waiting to meet his beloved, who was not Hanyan. Just then, Zhang Yinyin burst in, wielding a duster and striking Ruochen and those around him, having heard rumors from Danyuan Palace disciples that Ruochen was "secretly dating Hanyan."
Ruochen explained he had been drugged, feeling very uncomfortable, and in his dazed state, he attempted to kiss her, much to Zhang Yinyin's strong reaction. Seeing the chaotic scene and Ruochen's clear disorientation, and perhaps sensing Hanyan's deceit, the acting hierarch decided to drop the matter, concluding it was simply "frivolous in love" among young people. Zhang Yinyin pulled Ruochen away from the scene. Still under the drug's influence, Ruochen expressed a desire to kiss her.
Zhang Yinyin noticed his flushed face, but he confessed his deep longing for her, saying she had appeared in his dreams every night since she brought him to Xixuan. As Zhang Yinyin resisted his advances, a figure in a black cloak with a disfigured face, later identified as the "faceless man," appeared and attacked Ruochen, taunting him for his clumsy escape despite being a banished god.
Zhang Yinyin helped Ruochen flee into a deep mountain stream where a colossal bronze tripod stood. Ruochen was inexplicably drawn into the tripod, experiencing immense pain as his true essence surged. Inside, he found himself in a void filled with martial arts manuals. Relying on his photographic memory from practicing the Shangqing Mantra, he diligently memorized the "Dissociation Mantra" and other techniques from the tripod walls, which significantly amplified his true spirit. After being rescued, Ruochen recovered in his quarters.
His master confirmed the identity of the attacker as his former junior, Shen Boyang, a martial arts prodigy who had gone off the deep end during cultivation due to the tragic death of his lover, Yu Chan. His master warned Ruochen that Shen Boyang's existence was a closely guarded secret of the Xixuan Sect and forbade him from speaking of it.
Zhang Yinyin, who had witnessed Ruochen's absorption into the tripod, marveled at his newfound power, lamenting her own struggles with her cultivation, burdened by the "Huanyao Root" and recurring headaches. Ruochen, in turn, offered to share his newly acquired power with her. Later, Taiwei Zhenren, the master of Taixuan Palace, expressed his skepticism about Ruochen being a true banished god, citing his seemingly ordinary progress compared to other ascended individuals in Xixuan's history.
He vowed that if Ruochen couldn't prove his strength in the upcoming Annual Exam, he would be deemed a fake, and the other Zhenrens would severely punish him. Subsequently, two Taixuan Palace disciples, Ming Xin and Ming Yun, confronted Ruochen, accusing him of being ungrateful for praising Xuanming Palace's moral swordsmanship while having sought their own Grand Five-Element Swordsmanship. Ruochen denied their claims and tried to leave, but they insisted on a spar.
As they attacked, a senior disciple from Xuanming Palace intervened, reminding Ming Xin and Ming Yun that they were on Xuanming Palace territory and that their master, Jingxiao Zhenren, had once been defeated by his own master, Taiwei Zhenren. Warned to leave, Ming Xin and Ming Yun departed, vowing revenge.
Ming Xin and Ming Yun then found Zhang Yinyin and falsely claimed that Ruochen had insulted Taixuan Palace, disparaged their Grand Five-Element Swordsmanship, and even mocked their master by saying Taiwei Zhenren had "beat the crap out of" him. Believing their fabrication, Zhang Yinyin furiously vowed to teach Ruochen a lesson, agreeing to a formal challenge suggested by Ming Xin. She set the duel for the hour of Mao (5 a. m. to 7 a. m.
) on Sword Forging Mountain. However, Ruochen, who was drinking with friends, forgot the appointment. As a heavy rain began, he suddenly noticed Zhang Yinyin's Sunlight and Rain Charm illuminating Sword Forging Mountain. Realizing she was there, and remembering their challenge, he rushed towards her. Meanwhile, Ming Xin and Ming Yun, seeking shelter from the rain, attempted to enter a seemingly ordinary cave on Sword Forging Mountain but were warned by a fellow disciple that it was a forbidden area.
Despite the warning, Zhang Yinyin, driven by curiosity, entered the cold, dark cave, ignoring the strange echoing chants of "With spotted nine tails, I jump over the Nanshan Mountain" and "When the Big Dipper appears above the Nanshan Mountain, the dead water ripples," disappearing deeper within.
