Ice Fantasy Episode 46 Recap, Plot

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The group arrived at the Sky-Shattering Vermilion Bird Temple, a place as beautiful as an immortal realm, where a legend spoke of a stunning beauty, the most powerful zither player of the Sprite Lands, sealed on the Sighing Wall. Her music was said to be capable of repelling armies. As thousands of butterflies swarmed, Queen Chi Lian, accompanied by her maidens, worshipped the wall. A beautiful woman emerged: Princess Die Che, the Southern Guardian of Divine Snow Mountain.

She greeted them, stating that she would allow them to pass if Ka Suo submitted to Lord Yuan Ji. Ka Suo refused, stating Yuan Ji had killed his mother. Die Che smiled, looking at Chao Ya, and remarked that sacrificing for one's tribe was not difficult. The maidens then removed their masks, revealing themselves to be the sprites of the Golden Oriole Tribe.

Die Che reminded Chao Ya that she had once allowed the Alligator Tribe to attack the Golden Oriole Tribe to repel an enemy, leading to their near extinction. The regret of that innocent loss had always haunted Chao Ya. Die Che then claimed she rescued these sprites and brought them to the Divine Snow Mountain, reviving them with the divine waters, allowing them to live peacefully and happily in the temple.

Chao Ya thanked her, but Die Che insisted the thanks should go to Lord Yuan Ji, who hated fighting and killing and wished for all life forms to live in harmony. Liao Jian scoffed, calling it a blatant lie, asserting that their ancestors left Divine Snow Mountain precisely because Yuan Ji was violent and ruthless.

Die Che countered, admitting misunderstandings between their ancestors and Lord Yuan Ji, but argued that the 10,000 years of conflict between the Ice and Fire tribes and constant strife in the three realms had cost countless innocent lives. She proposed that Lord Yuan Ji obtain the Hidden Lotus, unite all tribes, and bring about an era of peace and happiness.

Die Che cut off Ka Suo before he could speak, urging him not to refuse immediately and to consider her offer while staying the night, allowing Chao Ya to reunite with her mother. Ka Suo agreed. Huang Tuo meticulously checked the food and wine for poison before anyone ate. Xing Gui observed Queen Chi Lian's strange behavior, noting her indifference towards Chao Ya but strong affection for Die Che.

Pian Feng explained that Queen Chi Lian had always been a strict and demanding mother, never a loving one, holding high expectations for Chao Ya. Liao Jian added that Chi Lian was deeply obsessed with the legend of the Sighing Wall and dreamed of mastering the Butterfly Zither Techniques, which led her to abandon her daughter and tribe in its pursuit.

Pian Feng recalled that after Chi Lian went missing, the Sprite Lands descended into chaos, forcing Chao Ya to bravely take the throne alone. During that period, Pian Feng was in exile, and Liao Jian was imprisoned by Hei Feng, making Chao Ya the sole defender. This was when the tragedy of the Golden Oriole Tribe occurred, a burden of guilt Chao Ya carried ever since.

Chao Ya reunited with her mother, confessing how tired she felt every day since becoming queen and questioning why her mother never returned. Chi Lian explained that while searching for the Sighing Wall, she was injured in an accident, lost her memory, and forgot who she was. Princess Die Che rescued her and brought her to Divine Snow Mountain, granting her eternal life and a new identity.

Die Che also told her that when the time was right, her daughter would come to reunite with her. Overjoyed, Chao Ya pleaded with her mother to return home, offering to hand back the throne. However, Chi Lian refused, stating that she found true happiness at the temple, listening to Princess Die Che's Butterfly Zither every day and becoming one with nature. She urged Chao Ya to stay, but Chao Ya refused, explaining her tribesmen were waiting for her return.

Chi Lian continued to persuade her, calling her a "silly child" and saying that once Lord Yuan Ji restored himself and united all tribes, everyone would be his subjects, and the Sprite Lands and its queen would cease to exist. She suggested Chao Ya marry Liao Jian or stay with her, envisioning a life free of worries, which somewhat swayed Chao Ya.

Meanwhile, Xing Jiu, investigating the strange phenomena in the Sprite Lands, tracked the source to the Human World Forest in the east, the very place where Queen Chi Lian was rumored to have disappeared. There, he discovered peculiar butterflies. Back at the Vermilion Bird Temple, Ka Suo, watching the beautiful blossoms in the garden, encountered a man who could make flowers bloom with magic. Ka Suo approached him, asking about the magic.

The man explained he was born with the ability to make flowers bloom and that Die Che called him Chi Mo. Suddenly, Chi Mo coughed up blood. Die Che rushed to his side. Ka Suo offered to have Huang Tuo, the chief of the Healer Tribe, examine him, but Die Che insisted that only she could save him and asked Ka Suo to help her take Chi Mo to her palace.

Once Chi Mo was resting, Die Che played her zither to heal him. Listening to the music, Ka Suo felt a wave of melancholy and remembered Li Luo, her face appearing in his mind. Chao Ya, hearing Die Che's beautiful zither music, marveled at its exquisite quality, despairing that she would never be able to play such music in her lifetime. Suddenly, a string on her own zither snapped, startling her.

Die Che later approached Ka Suo, remarking that his heart too seemed to have been broken by love. Ka Suo admitted he could feel Die Che's deep love for Chi Mo through her music. Die Che confessed that without Chi Mo, she would never play again, adding that those who appreciate her music are sentimental. She sensed that Ka Suo also loved someone dearly.

Ka Suo thought of Li Luo, sadly noting she was frozen at the bottom of the Endless Sea and could not enjoy the beautiful music. Die Che seized the opportunity, trying to recruit him again, promising that if he submitted to Lord Yuan Ji, the fate of his beloved could be changed, and he could be reunited with her, just like Die Che was with Chi Mo.

Ka Suo asked if they could revive Li Luo, and Die Che affirmed they could, if he was willing. Pian Feng noticed Chao Ya's broken zither string and asked Queen Chi Lian about Chao Ya's whereabouts. Chi Lian, however, reacted as if seeing a ghost and fled, yelling about "annoying eagles" and "evil eagles."

Pian Feng relayed this strange encounter to Chao Ya, who found it impossible, given her mother claimed to have lost her memory and didn't even remember her own daughter, let alone hold a grudge against Pian Feng. Chao Ya reflected on her mother's strange transformation. The former queen, a wise and courageous leader who protected her tribe at all costs, now abandoned her people to simply worship Die Che.

She acknowledged Die Che's supernatural zither techniques, admitting she could never surpass them. When Ka Suo mentioned Chi Mo, Chao Ya reacted with shock and fear, revealing that Chi Mo was a notorious criminal from the Sprite Tribe, executed by extreme punishment over 10,000 years ago. Everyone was confused by this revelation. The Sword Spirit interrupted, complaining of hunger and asking Ka Suo for vital energy.

Yue Shen dismissively told him to find vital energy elsewhere, as they were discussing important matters. The Sword Spirit replied that there was only one powerful god here, Die Che, and he dared not provoke her. Ka Suo found this odd, asking about the palace maids and guards. The Sword Spirit explained they were formless spirits, just like him. Chao Ya expressed disbelief about her mother.

Xing Gui then stated that what Chao Ya saw was merely her mother's afterimage, adding that her brother, Xing Jiu, had sent a message in a dream, inviting everyone to join him in a shared dream. In the dream, they found themselves in the butterfly-filled Human World Forest. Xing Jiu explained that the Sprite Lands' strange phenomena originated there. He showed them the demonic butterflies, which fed on human or god flesh, leaving behind only clothing.

He hypothesized that these butterflies were responsible for past disappearances, including those blamed on the Rabbit sprite and him, and flew towards the Endless Sea every night, possibly linked to Yuan Ji. Xing Gui, seeing the familiar butterflies, reminded everyone of Die Che's words about life and death being merely a change in physical form, like a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, and how with willingness, a beloved person could be reborn.

Back in the Vermilion Bird Temple, Die Che asked Ka Suo for his final decision. Ka Suo exposed her deception, stating that the "eternity" she offered was merely endless deprivation and eternal hell. He revealed that she used the rabbit sprites of the Sprite Lands to lure humans, feeding their flesh to her butterflies. Once grown, the butterflies were transformed into dolls. Since butterflies are ephemeral, Die Che had to continually kill to maintain the physical bodies of her dolls.

Chao Ya demanded to know where her mother was. Die Che calmly explained that Chi Lian, despite admiring her, couldn't accept Chi Mo and called him a monster, so Die Che fed her to her butterflies, then recreated a Chi Lian who would follow her will. Overcome with grief and rage, Chao Ya attacked Die Che but was injured by Chi Lian's spirit, who defended Die Che.

Pian Feng intervened, striking Chi Lian's spirit, causing it to dissipate and transform into butterflies. Seeing that her efforts to recruit Ka Suo were futile, Die Che prepared to use her zither to attack. At that moment, Yue Shen and Huang Tuo arrived, bringing Chi Mo with them. Chi Mo confronted Die Che, questioning if he too was merely a doll she created, just like the recreated Chi Lian.

He recalled that whenever he felt ill, she would summon butterflies to cure him, realizing he was nothing more than the walking dead. He pleaded with Die Che not to harm innocent lives for his sake and urged her to let them go. Die Che, seemingly swayed by Chi Mo's words, finally agreed to release them and revealed that the seal was behind the Sighing Wall.

However, in a sudden change of heart, Die Che attacked everyone, including Chi Mo, who fell fatally wounded. As the temple began to collapse, Chi Mo died in Die Che's arms while she wept in anguish. The group quickly fled the collapsing palace. Later, on a small boat made from Chao Ya's Wuyin Qin on the lake, the group reflected on the tragic love of Chi Mo and Die Che, pondering what had truly happened to them.

Pian Feng recounted tales heard from the elders of his tribe: Chi Mo was once considered the greatest traitor of their tribe for attempting to sell their most powerful zither music to the Fire Tribe. Die Che's Butterfly Zither was unmatched, her mastery so profound that no other sprite in the tribe could match her skill or understand her music, leaving her to play alone in her magical sanctuary for many years.

It was there that she met Chi Mo, who understood her music, and they fell deeply in love. However, during the War of Ice and Fire, the Sprite Lands allied with the Ice Tribe to drive out all Fire Tribesmen. Chi Mo's family was revealed to be a secret leader behind troubles caused by the Fire Tribe, making him a pariah. He attempted to escape but was captured.

Die Che raced to the City of Bladed Snow to beg the Ice King for mercy, but Chi Mo's crimes, having cruelly ruined many lives, were deemed unforgivable, and the Ice King refused.

Episode 45 Recap

Episode 47 Recap