Legend of Awakening Episode 11 Recap
> Legend of Awakening Recap
Lu Ping’s Soul Confinement was severely worsening, tightening its grip on him. Wen Gecheng immediately deduced that Lu Ping must have undergone Soul Splitting, which Lu Ping confirmed, explaining he did it to attend the Soul Combat Convention and meet Wen Gecheng. Wen Gecheng chastised him, revealing that while Lu Ping had suppressed the Soul Confinement for years, his recent Soul Splitting had agitated it, causing it to intensify.
He told Lu Ping that he, Wen Gecheng, could not break the confinement himself due to his martial arts being crippled, but he could seek help from his academy. Lu Ping was hesitant, noting that the second round of the convention was tomorrow and Zhao Xifan needed him to pass the test. Wen Gecheng pressed him, emphasizing that every day of delay would worsen his condition, stating that this was the absolute last chance.
He planned to send word to his master that night and make military arrangements to accompany Lu Ping for treatment. Wen Gecheng urged Lu Ping to prioritize his survival, reminding him that he had always wanted to live like a human, and his true friends would understand. He instructed Lu Ping to meet him at Xinghua Restaurant tomorrow at noon if he agreed. On his way back, Lu Ping found Qin Sang waiting for him.
He offered to buy her wine as thanks, and though he could only afford a small amount, they sat on a rooftop, sharing a moment under the night sky. Lu Ping recounted his painful past in Shanhai Gang, where the stars offered his only solace and guided his escape.
He then expressed his gratitude to Qin Sang, telling her that she had shown him there were beautiful things in the world, just like the starry sky, after he had only witnessed wickedness in Shanhai Gang. He confessed that sometimes he wondered if his escape was just to share such moments with her.
As Qin Sang dozed off, Lu Ping softly confided his decade-long desire to break the Soul Confinement and live an ordinary man, viewing this shared moment as a farewell before he left with Wen Gecheng. That very night, agents from the Shanhai Gang arrived in Kaifeng. Meanwhile, Zhao Xifan and Mo Lin were at a tailor's shop, where Zhao Xifan, usually very thrifty, surprisingly used his family heirloom jade pendant as collateral for four custom training outfits.
He told Mo Lin that despite his lingering injuries and the impending tough battle against Luo Ting, he wanted to do what he could to boost the team's morale. He also asked Mo Lin to keep the jade pendant a secret from others. Mo Lin, confident in Lu Ping's abilities, reassured Xifan that with Lu Ping, they could still defeat Luo Ting.
Lu Ping was preparing to leave, asserting to Su Tang that his sole purpose for attending the convention was to find Wen Gecheng, and having achieved that, he saw no need to stay. Su Tang, deeply worried about Zhao Xifan's unrecovered injuries and Luo Ting's animosity, pleaded with Lu Ping to stay, fearing for Xifan's life if only Mo Lin remained to face Luo Ting.
Lu Ping responded with cruel indifference, suggesting Xifan could simply surrender or be poisoned to avoid the fight. Zhao Xifan and Mo Lin arrived, having overheard the exchange, and were devastated. Lu Ping continued to hurl insults, calling Zhao Xifan a "useless bum" and a "hypocrite," accusing him of only wanting Lu Ping to stay because he couldn't win alone. He even challenged Xifan to give him the elder disciple's badge so he could declare Zhaifeng's withdrawal.
Heartbroken, Zhao Xifan told Lu Ping to leave and that Zhaifeng Institute was no longer his concern, vowing to fight until the end, even if alone. Lu Ping retorted, wishing him luck. After his friends left, Su Tang gently confronted Lu Ping, knowing he had deliberately spoken harshly to push them away and that he secretly cared about Zhaifeng.
Lu Ping, still reluctant to admit his true feelings, explained his desire to live as an ordinary person, fearing that continuing the competition would expose his identity and bring Shanhai Gang's pursuit. He asked for her understanding in his selfishness. Su Tang then proposed a solution: she would stay to protect Zhao Xifan, allowing Lu Ping to leave with Wen Gecheng to break his confinement.
Lu Ping, though hesitant, accepted, seeing her presence as a form of support for Xifan in uncertain times. After Lu Ping's departure, Zhao Xifan immediately began meditating to hasten his recovery, but his impatience was evident. Guo Youdao, concerned, advised him to prioritize his health and openly confessed that he had brought Zhao Xifan to the convention primarily to protect Lu Ping, not to restore Zhaifeng's former glory.
He casually dismissed Zhaifeng's past ambitions, like "surpassing Beidou," as mere strategies for safety and earning money. Enraged and heartbroken by this revelation, Zhao Xifan reaffirmed his unwavering commitment to Zhaifeng Institute, asserting that even if no one else cared, he would still choose to protect it. To his persistent pleas to compete, Guo Youdao proposed a wager: if Zhao Xifan could lift a heavy stone table with a single palm, he would allow him to participate.
Su Tang and Mo Lin, who had been listening in, immediately pledged their support. Zhao Xifan then devised a clever plan, and with the combined effort of their fingers acting as one palm, they successfully lifted the table. Guo Youdao, seeing their ingenuity and unity, reluctantly agreed to let them compete, though he warned them to return alive. Su Tang privately expressed her hope that her presence would also serve as a connection, eventually drawing Lu Ping back to Zhaifeng.
Luo Ting had observed Wei Tianqi's remarkably swift increase in soul power. Feigning congratulations and friendship, he approached Wei Tianqi under the guise of seeking advice, hinting that a strong alliance would benefit Wei Tianqi's pursuit of Qin Sang within the capital's elite circles. Naively, Wei Tianqi divulged his secret: a "Method of Xi Sui" that allowed him to borrow others' power.
Upon learning this, Luo Ting immediately instructed his subordinate, Qiao Ying, to report Wei Tianqi to the examiners, falsely accusing him of bringing personal guards to the competition and cheating. Luo Ting ensured Wei Tianqi's disqualification, not only to eliminate a competitor but also to keep the Method of Xi Sui a secret for his own future use.
Wei Tianqi, unaware of Luo Ting's treachery, was later seen fuming about his disqualification and the anonymous report, still boasting about his talent. The next day, the second round of the Soul Combat Convention commenced in a forest divided into East and West sections. The examiner announced that this round would test strategy and teamwork, with the last standing team from each section advancing to the finals.
Each team captain was issued an emergency smoke bomb, which, if ignited, would signal their team's immediate disqualification but guarantee their safety. Teams were given a short period to strategically position themselves before the starting drum. Qin Sang, while observing the teams, noticed Lu Ping's absence from his group, though the competition was about to begin, leaving her no time to question it.
Fatefully, the three remaining members of Zhaifeng Institute — Zhao Xifan, Su Tang, and Mo Lin — were grouped with their arch-rival, Luo Ting, in the East section. Luo Ting immediately mocked Zhaifeng for being short-handed, implying their fear, to which Mo Lin retorted, claiming he alone was enough. Zhao Xifan, having anticipated Luo Ting's underhanded tactics, quickly deployed a strategy.
Knowing his damaged Soul of Sound prevented him from direct combat or discerning directions easily, he instructed Mo Lin to set defensive traps, planning to leverage the dense fog to their advantage by holding their position and waiting. Luo Ting, however, had also planned, having arranged for other teams to avoid their confrontation with Zhaifeng. His group soon located and fell into Zhaifeng's worm grass trap.
Zhao Xifan confidently declared their predicament, stating that without mastering two souls, they could not escape. To his shock, Luo Ting and his companions revealed they had already achieved this level of mastery, quickly breaking free from the trap. With the element of surprise gone, a direct and brutal confrontation became inevitable, with Luo Ting ordering his men to "beat them to death," asserting the superiority of his ancient family.
After finishing their match in the West section, Qin Sang and Ling Ziyan went to observe the East section. Qin Sang was alarmed to see Zhao Xifan's group struggling against Luo Ting, whose power seemed to have inexplicably surged overnight. More strikingly, Lu Ping was nowhere to be found. Recalling Lu Ping's heartfelt desire to break his Soul Confinement and live an ordinary life, Qin Sang realized he had likely abandoned the competition.
Frustrated and feeling betrayed by his broken promise to compete against her, she left Ling Ziyan to monitor the situation and swiftly went to search for him. She intercepted Lu Ping on his way to Xinghua Restaurant, confronting him about his sudden abandonment of his teammates. Qin Sang sternly reminded him of the severe consequences for deserters in her brother's army, expressing her disbelief that he, who she knew wasn't a disloyal person, would act this way.
Lu Ping defended his decision, reiterating that his only goal was to meet Wen Gecheng and get his confinement unsealed, a wish he had held for a decade. Qin Sang, however, defiantly called him a "coward," accusing him of abandoning his friends despite secretly caring for their safety, and declared her contempt for him. Just as Lu Ping was about to respond to Qin Sang's accusations, a hidden weapon suddenly shot from the shadows.
