Love in the Clouds Episode 24 Recap
> Love in the Clouds Recap
Fu Yue expressed her concern for Situ Ling, who had repeatedly injured himself for Ming Yi, even revealing his true identity to protect her. Situ Ling, however, affirmed that Ming Yi's life was paramount. Despite Situ Ling and She Tianlin’s best efforts, Ming Yi’s condition remained unstable and was not expected to last more than a month.
She Tianlin, Ming Yi's master, tried to reassure her, mentioning Situ Ling's connections in Zhushui Spiritual State and his own plan to find rare herbs. Ming Yi anxiously asked about Twenty-Seven. She Tianlin explained that since companion beasts form a life-bound pact with their masters, Twenty-Seven's preserved divine consciousness meant he would be revived once Ming Yi’s spiritual veins and cultivation were restored.
When She Tianlin asked if Ji Bozai truly no longer possessed the Golden Millet Dream, Ming Yi revealed that Ji Bozai had destroyed it right before her eyes after catching her attempting to steal it. She Tianlin was enraged, but Ming Yi defended Ji Bozai, asserting that it was his possession to do with as he pleased and that she didn't want to trouble him further, especially since she had already disappointed him.
Tianji then summoned Ji Bozai to discuss current affairs. She advised him that open communication often resolves misunderstandings, subtly hinting at his strained relationship with Ming Yi. Shifting to official matters, Tianji outlined plans for dealing with Mu Qibai’s former subordinates, recruiting loyalists cautiously, and exiling dissenters. She highlighted that the netherbeast army’s activation by the Blood Moon clearly implicated the Emperor of Zhushui as the true instigator, who would not cease his machinations.
Tianji pointed out that the Soul-Consuming Tree at Dragon Carp Terrace served as a conduit between the Sunken Abyss and the divine capital, making Jixing Abyss vulnerable to attack through the Sunken Abyss. Ji Bozai, having already discerned this, presented his plan: following Hou Zhao's surrender and the subsequent release and relocation of prisoners, the Sunken Abyss remained a potential threat. He proposed withdrawing all guards, sealing the Soul-Consuming Tree, and destroying the Sunken Abyss entirely. Tianji readily agreed.
Meanwhile, Fu Yue reported her findings to Situ Ling, revealing a 22-year-old secret. She had bribed a former confidant of Chao Yu and learned that the widely believed story of the Bo clan’s fiery demise was a cover. In reality, the Emperor of Zhushui had secretly besieged the Bo clan’s ancestral mansion in Zhangwei Mountain.
They found only Part 1 of Bo's Medical Classics, which contained the method for creating Heavenly Grief, but an incomplete prescription for the Golden Millet Dream. A fire then destroyed most of the Bo clan. The Emperor had given Part 1 to Mu Qibai for brewing medicine in the Sunken Abyss, but Part 2 had vanished. Chao Yu was then secretly ordered to find the Bo sisters and retrieve Part 2, but it remained lost.
Situ Ling explained that a century prior, the Bo clan’s dichotomous drugs, capable of granting spiritual veins, had triggered widespread conflict. The Bo ancestors, seeing the devastation, destroyed all the drugs and forbade their descendants from recreating them. Situ Ling deduced that the fleeing Bo sisters likely hid Part 2. After the Bo clan’s destruction, the patron deity Zhulong, in a fit of rage, sealed Zhangwei Mountain, hiding the Bo's ancestral mansion behind an impenetrable barrier.
Only a Bo descendant could enter this barrier, and Ji Bozai was the only known living descendant. Situ Ling announced his intention to retrieve Part 1 from the Sunken Abyss. Fu Yue cautioned him against alarming the Emperor of Zhushui, especially after Mu Qibai’s recent death. Situ Ling disregarded her warnings, determined to save Ming Yi's life by creating a new Golden Millet Dream.
Ming Yi confirmed Situ Ling's deductions about the ancestral mansion and the missing Part 2, believing that acquiring both parts of the classics could lead to the creation of the Golden Millet Dream. Situ Ling offered to go to the Sunken Abyss, leveraging his position as Chief of Judgment Hall for cover, but Ming Yi declined, unwilling to burden him further.
Later, Zhang Tai discovered a letter from Ming Yi, expressing gratitude but explaining that she had left alone to find the cure to avoid endangering her friends. Distraught, Situ Ling rushed out to search for her, while Zhang Tai decided to inform Ji Bozai. Ji Bozai found Ming Yi collapsed in a forest, weak and cold, and brought her to a simple hut, having secretly given her some spiritual energy.
Upon her awakening, Ming Yi tried to brush off her condition. Ji Bozai confronted her about a name list he had restored from Xinliu’s testimony, which Ming Yi had erased. He suspected she had taken the list for her own purposes. Ming Yi then revealed she had been searching for the list to uncover who poisoned Ming Xian with Heavenly Grief, expressing her fierce desire to find and punish the culprit.
Ji Bozai realized that Ming Yi’s true motivation for seeking the Golden Millet Dream was to save Ming Xian, not for Yaoguang Mountain’s political gain, as he had previously believed. He pressed her on why she hadn’t returned to Yaoguang Mountain if the Golden Millet Dream was destroyed.
Ming Yi replied that with the cure gone, she could only watch Ming Xian suffer and die, and his proud nature would not allow him to be seen in such a vulnerable state. Sensing her continued evasiveness, Ji Bozai left in anger. Zhang Tai arrived at the hut after Ji Bozai's departure and took Ming Yi back to her home. She noticed Ming Yi's extreme coldness and frailty, despite the spiritual energy she had received.
Ming Yi, overcome with guilt, confessed her deceptions, expecting Zhang Tai’s hatred. Zhang Tai, however, dismissed her concerns, reaffirming their friendship. Soon after, Zhang Tai discovered Ming Yi's true identity as Crown Prince Ming Xian of Yaoguang Mountain and the grave nature of her poisoning. Despite the shock, Zhang Tai expressed unwavering loyalty, recalling Ming Yi's past heroic acts in fighting netherbeasts and protecting the innocent.
She pledged to fully support Ming Yi, determined to prevent any further harm to her. Meanwhile, Jixing Abyss prepared for the upcoming tea gathering and the impending conflict with Zhushui Spiritual State. Zhang Tai assisted in making battle robes. Tianji reviewed the selected fighters: Meng Yangqiu for his diligence, Yan Xiao for his healing and support skills, and the young Chen Xi, knowledgeable in divine artifacts, was appointed as the Forger.
The leader of Jixing Abyss, Mu Yuanfeng, expressed concerns about the Emperor of Zhushui’s centuries of experience and numerous secret arts. Ji Bozai countered that fear before battle was tantamount to surrendering one's destiny; if there was no path, they would forge one. Tianji and Yan Xiao echoed Ji Bozai’s sentiments, stating that all warriors from Shouhua Academy, including Chen Xi, refused to live under Zhushui Spiritual State’s oppressive shadow.
The recent victory against the netherbeast army had greatly boosted their morale, and they were ready to sacrifice themselves for Jixing Abyss. Impressed by their resolve, the leader decreed that Tianji would lead the defense against Zhushui Spiritual State. He ordered all Jixing Abyss warriors to undergo rigorous training beyond their Qingyun Tournament preparations and vowed to eliminate all invaders.
Ji Bozai warned that the tea gathering, held in Yaoguang Mountain, presented a prime opportunity for assassinations, urging the warriors to prioritize their safety, as disqualification would occur if fewer than three combatants remained. Ming Yi received news from Zhang Tai that Yaoguang Mountain had declared Crown Prince Ming Xian a criminal for desertion and appointed Ming Xin as the new Crown Prince. His conferment ceremony was pending, and he was designated as the warrior for team combat.
Zhang Tai tried to comfort Ming Yi, suggesting her father was forced into this decision by the looming Qingyun Tournament. Ming Yi understood her father’s predicament, acknowledging her prolonged absence. Determined, she declared that she would not allow Ming Xin to ruin Yaoguang Mountain.
Situ Ling then presented Ming Yi with a complete map of the Sunken Abyss, including hidden caverns and potential traps, and insisted on accompanying her, arguing that he was the most trustworthy ally given his deep involvement. Later, She Tianlin found Ming Yi coughing blood and sternly warned her against using any more spiritual power, as it could kill her within days. He then injected spiritual power into a crossbow for her self-defense.
Ming Yi insisted that they go to the Sunken Abyss together, and She Tianlin reluctantly agreed. Simultaneously, Chao Xuan and his subordinates infiltrated the Sunken Abyss to retrieve the medical classics. Chao Xuan found Part 1 and was confronted by Situ Ling. Situ Ling feigned death, then launched a surprise counter-attack, injuring Chao Xuan as he reached for the classics. Meanwhile, Ming Yi, searching for Part 1, was attacked by Chao Xuan’s subordinates.
As one of them was about to brand her with a permanent criminal imprint using Phantom Fire, Ji Bozai, who had sensed the commotion in the Sunken Abyss while sealing the Soul-Consuming Tree, arrived and swiftly protected her.
