Martial Universe: Season 1 Episode 37 Recap
> Martial Universe: Season 1 Recap
Huanhuan, still grappling with her emotions, conveyed to Qingzhu that she felt at ease knowing Qingzhu would care for Lin Dong. She handed Qingzhu her weapon, declaring it was time for her to cultivate, despite her lingering feelings for Lin Dong. Qingzhu, witnessing Huanhuan's sorrow, understood that Lin Dong’s sole desire was to be with Huanhuan. Later, Ying Xuanzi approached Qingzhu, expressing gratitude for her efforts.
Qingzhu seized the opportunity to implore him to accept Lin Dong into the Dao Sect. She acknowledged that her own master had made an exception for Lin Dong to join Ninth Heaven Taiqing Palace, but Lin Dong was determined to enter the Dao Sect. She further argued that accepting Lin Dong, as the Ancestral Talisman Successor, would benefit the Dao Sect.
However, Ying Xuanzi firmly refused, stating that the more virtuous Lin Dong appeared, the more he felt compelled to keep Lin Huanhuan away from him. He then asked Qingzhu to leave. The three major sects gathered at the Ancient Battlefield. Mu Qianqian represented the Yuan Gate, boasting about their numerous victors and implying a decline in Ninth Heaven Taiqing Palace due to their master's absence.
Qingzhu, representing Ninth Heaven Taiqing Palace, announced an unprecedented decision: her sect would, for the first time, accept male disciples. Just then, Lin Dong arrived, calling out to Qingzhu. Qingzhu informed him that she had made all the necessary arrangements for him to join Ninth Heaven Taiqing Palace. However, Lin Dong, after apologizing to Qingzhu, approached Ying Xuanzi, declaring that his sole purpose for coming was Huanhuan.
Ying Xuanzi, in turn, rejected Lin Dong, stating that he was not a disciple the Dao Sect wished to accept. Mu Qianqian, seeing this as an opportunity, asserted her right to avenge Lin Langtian, whom Lin Dong had gravely injured in Wanxiang City, allowing the Yi-Demon Prince to escape. She declared that since Lin Dong was rejected by Dao Sect and refused Taiqing Palace, he belonged to no sect, and she was not obligated to show him mercy.
As she attacked Lin Dong, Huanhuan, observing from a distance, instinctively manipulated a weapon to intercept the blow, collapsing unconscious thereafter. Ying Xuanzi, witnessing Huanhuan's distress, finally agreed to consider Lin Dong for the Dao Sect but stipulated that he must undergo several rigorous trials, with the Ancient Battlefield serving as merely the first.
He explained that Lin Dong needed to break a Mysterious Crystal Stone, buried deep underground and connected by thousands of Yuan energy lines, requiring immense Yuan energy. He warned Lin Dong that his Yuan energy was depleted from previous fights, and any mistake could be costly. Unfazed, Lin Dong affirmed his clarity of mind and proceeded with the challenge.
His first attempt to strike the stone proved insufficient, drawing scorn from Mu Qianqian, who scoffed that he wouldn't even see its shadow, urging Ying Xuanzi to give up on him. Ying Xuanzi, however, reminded her that applicants were allowed two attempts. Lin Dong chose to continue, gathering his Yuan energy and executing the Great Desolate Imprisoning Heaven Hand.
To everyone's astonishment, he successfully shattered the Mysterious Crystal Stone, causing Mu Qianqian to continue her taunts about "wild boys" not entering the Super Sects. Ying Xuanzi, pleased, officially accepted Lin Dong into the Dao Sect, pointedly telling Mu Qianqian that Lin Dong's acceptance was his good fortune. Mu Qianqian, furious, accused the Dao Sect of accepting someone who conspired with Yi-Demons and criticized Taiqing Palace for making an exception for Lin Dong, who ultimately rejected it.
She concluded that only Yuan Gate remained free of such "evil influences" before departing. Lin Dong approached Qingzhu to apologize, but she cut him off, frustrated by his repeated apologies. She explained that with his acceptance into the Dao Sect, her master would not be put in a difficult position, and she would no longer have to endure the insults from Yuan Gate. She added that with Dao Sect's protection, she no longer needed to worry about him.
As the Talisman Envoy and he the Ancestral Talisman Successor, she declared she would obey his command, provided he remembered his crucial duty of slaying Yi-Demons. Lin Dong promised to remember and reaffirmed his commitment to accompany her to the Monster Domain to find her father. Qingzhu, heartbroken by his past promises and the pain they caused her, reflected on her scars and tears, questioning the worth of her struggles.
Lin Dong, sensing her sorrow, simply reiterated his promise to remember before bidding her farewell, calling her "Miss Fairy." Back at the Dao Sect, Ying Xuanzi revived the unconscious Huanhuan. Upon waking, Huanhuan immediately inquired about Lin Dong. Ying Xuanzi informed her that Lin Dong had been accepted into the Dao Sect and was now her co-disciple. He pledged to protect Lin Dong but revealed he had a condition.
Huanhuan, understanding without further explanation, promised never to see Lin Dong again. Ying Xuanzi explained that his request was not out of heartlessness, but due to the impending arrival of the Yi-Demons, leaving them little time; Huanhuan needed to intensify her cultivation. Meanwhile, Qingzhu returned to Ninth Heaven Taiqing Palace and confessed to her master that her hasty actions had shamed the sect, requesting punishment.
Her master, however, showed understanding, acknowledging that as a Talisman Envoy, Qingzhu was still susceptible to affections and desires, and it was natural for feelings to develop over time. Nevertheless, she cautioned Qingzhu to remember the lessons learned by her mother. When Qingzhu pressed for clarification, her master admitted that some matters remained unclear even to her, urging Qingzhu to seek the answers herself.
Regarding Lin Dong, her master advised Qingzhu to let go, asserting that his path was not hers to control. Yet, she offered a glimmer of hope: one day, they would find themselves fighting side by side against the Yi-Demons. Xuanbo enlightened Qingtan about the Dark Palace, which was established by the Master of Darkness to guard the Dark Ancestral Talisman. She instructed Qingtan to master Dark Energy, explaining it emanated from the cycle of time and space, controlling all life.
Xuanbo revealed that the extreme cold toxin Qingtan had suffered since childhood was a manifestation of Dark Energy, a neutral force neither inherently good nor evil, representing both death and new life. Qingtan expressed frustration at her inability to control it, but Xuanbo reassured her, explaining that her power would only fully manifest after her bloodline was reshaped.
Qingtan eagerly asked for instruction, to which Xuanbo responded that she needed to train in peace, free from distractions, to quickly become the Dark Palace's Master and inherit the Dark Ancestral Talisman, thereby gaining the power to fulfill her desires. At that moment, Lin Langtian appeared outside, seeking Qingtan. Qingtan, unwilling to see him, asked the Palace Master to turn him away. Lin Langtian insisted on relaying a message, vowing to wait indefinitely if she refused to meet him.
The Palace Master encouraged Qingtan to go, believing it might resolve her questions, but Qingtan, skeptical of Lin Langtian's true intentions, suspected he might be after the Dark Ancestral Talisman rather than her. Soon after, an alarm was raised that someone had attempted to steal the Ancestral Talisman. Xuanbo intercepted Lin Langtian, who had indeed tried to take the Dark Ancestral Talisman, confirming Qingtan's suspicions.
Lin Langtian, desperate, continued to call for Qingtan, urging her to return to Qingyang Town with him and pleading that he would give up everything for her. He even lied, claiming he hadn't taken the Ancestral Talisman and would prove it. Qingtan, however, already knew he possessed the Dimension Talisman and accused him of continued deception. In a final, desperate act, Lin Langtian threatened to destroy the Dark Ancestral Talisman if Qingtan did not emerge.
She appeared, trying to tell him that the Ancestral Talisman was false. However, he accused her of lying. When she claimed not to know him, he removed his mask, revealing his scarred face, but she repeated her denial and ordered him to leave. Heartbroken, Lin Langtian declared that from that day forward, they owed each other nothing, and left.
A flashback showed Lin Langtian giving Qingtan a lock of his hair, promising that her life was his life, a stark contrast to their current painful parting. Outside the Dark Palace, Mu Qianqian waited for Lin Langtian. He apologized to her, admitting his naiveté. Mu Qianqian, in turn, comforted him, embracing him and assuring him that she hadn't come to punish but to retrieve him.
She promised to take him back, cure his injuries, and help him reclaim his potential as a great hero. Lin Langtian, now more reliant on her, embraced her back, acknowledging that her earlier warnings about the dangers of being soft-hearted had been correct. Mu Qianqian then informed him that Lin Dong had become a Dao Sect disciple.
Lin Langtian, unmoved, declared that from that day forward, Lin Dong and all those associated with him would be his enemies, and he would never again show mercy. Meanwhile, the Palace Master gently suggested that Qingtan might still pursue Lin Langtian, but Qingtan firmly refused, stating that they were already too far apart. She resolved to sever all romantic affections and dedicate herself to mastering the Dark Energy, and her master agreed to teach her.
Lin Dong officially entered the Dao Sect, where Wu Dao presided over the induction ceremony. The new disciples vowed their lifelong dedication to the sect, proclaiming their readiness to offer their bodies and reputation to build a strong Dao Sect. Wu Dao then explained the division of the four halls—Heaven, Earth, Flood, and Wilderness—based on cultivation levels. Disciples of Yuan-Pellet Rank and above would go to Flood Hall, while those below would join him in Wilderness Hall for basic training.
Lin Dong, still preoccupied with Huanhuan, immediately asked Wu Dao when he could see her. Wu Dao responded that his cultivation was too low, and he needed to train diligently to catch up. He reassured Lin Dong that Wilderness Hall, despite being the lowest, was quiet and ideal for cultivation, urging him to treat it as his new home.
Among the new disciples was a Young Prince from the Great Yan Dynasty, who declared his ambition to become a true fighter to protect his citizens. He mentioned coming to Dao Sect with his Royal Father's permission, specifically to train with Lin Dong, whom his father trusted. However, other disciples were openly hostile towards Lin Dong, mocking him as an unknown individual who only entered by luck and accusing him of harming their junior sister.
The Young Prince bravely defended Lin Dong, revealing that Lin Dong had once possessed Yuan-Pellet rank but lost it while protecting the Great Yan Dynasty from Yi-Demons. The other disciples, however, scoffed, arguing that if Lin Dong couldn't protect one woman, he couldn't protect a dynasty. Wu Dao intervened, assigning Lin Dong the least desirable berth near the lavatory, exposed to the elements, ironically calling it "appropriate for training."
When the Young Prince offered lavish meeting gifts of 50,000 yang yuan-pellets to each senior, their attitude quickly shifted. Lin Dong, in turn, addressed the seniors, stating his resolve to cultivate earnestly and atone for his past actions towards Huanhuan, implying he would accept his humble lodging without complaint.
Later, Wu Dao further elaborated on the Dao Sect's halls, explaining that Wilderness Hall, though currently seen as inferior, was historically the strongest but had declined because its profound martial arts, like the Great Wilderness Classics, were too intricate for most to comprehend, except for a figure named Zhou Tong. He reiterated that Huanhuan was training in the Heaven Hall's Mysterious Ice Enchantment, a restricted area for Wilderness Hall disciples.
Lin Dong would only be able to see her once he ascended through the halls. However, Wu Dao added a somber note, implying Huanhuan might not have much time left due to her Ice Master training. Alarmed, Lin Dong begged Wu Dao to help him arrange just one meeting with Huanhuan, to which Wu Dao agreed. Knowing Lin Dong had arrived, Huanhuan was overjoyed.
