Legend of Awakening Episode 18 Recap
> Legend of Awakening Recap
Lu Ping awoke to find a man who bore an uncanny resemblance to Guo Youdao. The man, Guo Wushu, who was Guo Youdao's twin brother and the Master of Kaiyang Peak, pushed Lu Ping and demanded to know why he possessed Guo Youdao’s force. When Lu Ping mentioned Guo Youdao's death, Guo Wushu was enraged, refusing to believe it, especially after checking Guo Youdao's star of destiny, which still shone brightly.
He accused Guo Youdao of lying and breaking their long-standing promise to fight once Guo Wushu took over Kaiyang Peak’s Qisha Hall. Guo Wushu then demanded that Lu Ping fight him in Guo Youdao's stead. Chu Min intervened, warning Guo Wushu that harming Lu Ping would break the rules and signify his true, eternal defeat to his brother, Guo Youdao.
After Guo Wushu left, Chu Min explained to Lu Ping that Big Dipper Institute was meant to be his safe haven, as per Guo Youdao's wishes. Soon after, Li Yaotian, the Big Dipper Institute Master, arrived to check Lu Ping's injuries, noting that someone had previously infused him with a protective force. Despite his unrecovered state, Lu Ping declared his intention to leave Big Dipper to seek revenge on the Shanhai Gang.
To prevent this, Chu Min announced her return as Yaoguang Peak Master and issued her first command: all Big Dipper disciples were to guard the mountain, forbidding Lu Ping from leaving. Meanwhile, Mo Lin was bedridden with a severe cold and exhaustion. Su Tang, feeling responsible, diligently cared for him. She clarified that her attentiveness stemmed from her habit of looking after Lu Ping, urging Mo Lin to recover quickly so he could join the search for Lu Ping.
Elsewhere, Yan Xifan's father, Yan Qiuci, received a letter from his son, who had successfully infiltrated the Shanhai Gang as a Fire Division Agent. Yan Xifan revealed that Shanhai Gang was planning a major operation in E'zhou and requested his father's assistance in investigating, while he remained undercover.
Proud of his son's bravery, Yan Qiuci dispatched an agent, A Ze, to E'zhou and ordered all previous search parties for Yan Xifan to be recalled, maintaining strict secrecy about his son's mission, and spreading the word that he was missing. At Big Dipper Institute, Ling Ziyan offered to tend to Lu Ping’s wounds, which he declined, stating he was much better and could manage himself.
She informed him that Yan Xifan had successfully infiltrated the Shanhai Gang, hoping to ease his worries. However, Lu Ping expressed concern about the dangers Yan Xifan faced and felt confined by Chu Min. His thoughts then turned to Qin Sang, wondering if she knew Ling Ziyan was alive and fearing she was still burdened by guilt over Ling Ziyan’s supposed death. Ling Ziyan, observing Lu Ping's concern for Qin Sang, tried to redirect his focus to Yan Xifan.
Later, Chu Min gave Ling Ziyan a letter for Qin Sang, instructing her to bypass Qin Qi and inform Qin Sang that Lu Ping was recovering at Big Dipper. Chu Min hoped Qin Sang's arrival would persuade Lu Ping to remain and heal. However, Ling Ziyan, who harbored deep feelings for Lu Ping and viewed her survival as a second chance, decided to fight for his affection and destroyed the letter.
During the Big Dipper Institute’s new disciple recruitment, Lu Ping attempted to slip away with the departing unsuccessful candidates. Ling Ziyan discovered his disappearance from the medicated diet room. As Lu Ping reached the mountain gate, he was confronted by Wei Tianqi, who recognized him and sought revenge for his father’s death. Chu Min intervened, preventing Wei Tianqi from harming the still-weak Lu Ping and ordering Bai Li to expel Wei Tianqi from the Big Dipper.
Chu Min then forced Lu Ping back to the medicated diet room. Recalling the recruitment announcement about "connecting the star to destiny" and "dredging meridians" with force, Lu Ping believed he had found a way to rapidly recover his injuries. He asked Ling Ziyan for help, and she, despite her initial hesitation, agreed to assist him in this risky endeavor, promising to accompany him wherever he went once he was healed and able to leave.
Meanwhile, Guo Wushu, haunted by Chu Min’s words about masters and disciples, decided to recruit an apprentice to defeat Lu Ping, thereby symbolically defeating his late brother. He encountered the expelled Wei Tianqi, who was still expressing his hatred for Lu Ping and the Big Dipper. Despite discovering Wei Tianqi’s weak cultivation, having not yet channeled his Force of Air, Guo Wushu took him as a disciple due to their shared animosity towards Lu Ping.
He immediately began a harsh training regimen for Wei Tianqi. In the Qin Residence, Qin Sang’s maid overheard a conversation between Qin Qi and General Wen, revealing that Lu Ping was alive. Qin Sang, who had been deeply despondent since Lu Ping’s supposed death, immediately approached Qin Qi and offered to go to Big Dipper to persuade Lu Ping to cooperate, believing this would secure his life and aid their family’s efforts against the Shanhai Gang.
Moved by her resolve, Qin Qi agreed to send guards with her, and Qin Sang smiled for the first time in a long while. Lu Ping, convinced that Guo Youdao's transmitted force was a form of guidance, requested permission from Chu Min to participate in the "connecting the star to destiny" ceremony.
Chu Min, realizing this method could indeed aid his recovery and that with his potential for 'six forces connected,' he was definitely qualified to participate, reluctantly agreed to let him try. The "connecting the star to destiny" ceremony commenced, with Li Yaotian explaining its significance: disciples channeled their force into an Astrological Instrument, forming a star map. To become a recognized Big Dipper disciple, one had to find their destiny star and achieve "harmony with the light."
The proximity and brightness of a star on the map reflected a disciple's cultivation level. Despite Li Yaotian’s concerns about Lu Ping's low cultivation and previous severe injuries, which made him vulnerable to backlash, Lu Ping insisted on participating, declaring he took full responsibility for any outcome. Ling Ziyan offered words of encouragement. As Lu Ping performed the ceremony, he struggled against internal "chains," an allusion to the Soul Confinement.
His destiny star appeared, surprisingly close to the Big Dipper Seven Stars, causing a stir among onlookers. However, it quickly morphed into the "Kaiyang Double Stars," one of which was identified as Guo Youdao's destiny star. To everyone’s horror, Guo Youdao’s star fell and directly struck Lu Ping. Amidst the confusion, Lu Ping disappeared. Ling Ziyan quickly checked on him, noting that Guo Youdao's star had fallen, and urged him to escape as they had planned.
As they attempted to flee Big Dipper Institute, they were intercepted by Wei Tianqi, who, fueled by his grudge and Guo Wushu’s teachings, vowed revenge. Before Lu Ping could even exert any force, he coughed up blood. Chu Min arrived, found Lu Ping, and discovered that he had completely lost all his force, his meridians locked—rendering him essentially a cripple. Chu Min reprimanded Wei Tianqi and ordered Lu Ping to be taken back to the medicated diet room.
Later, Lu Ping awakened, still reeling from the events. Chu Min confirmed that being struck by Guo Youdao's star had left him without any force. Despite this devastating news, Lu Ping firmly believed that his master, Guo Youdao, would never intentionally harm him. Chu Min then advised him to rest and not overthink.
