Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Episode 14 Recap
> Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Recap
The Leader, Liu Xian, and Fang He gathered to discuss the upcoming practice for new disciples, an accelerated event prompted by rampant evil cults and the need for disciples to gain real-world experience. The Leader assigned Liu Xian, Fang He, and Wang Wu to lead this important mission. As they finalized plans, Wang Wu suddenly coughed up blood.
Liu Xian recognized it as Liumang Poisonous Blood, noting its conflict with Wang Wu's Wuxiang Magic and that the full moon night was supposed to be her last experience of "the pain." It became clear to the other elders that Wang Wu had intentionally poisoned herself to further refine her Wuxiang Magic and to help Wang Lu with his own cultivation.
Concerned for her safety, the Leader relieved Wang Wu of her duties for the practice, instructing her to remain on Lingjian Mountain for recovery under the care of Hua Yun and Ao Guanhai. Wang Wu grumbled, calling it a "work-related injury" and bemoaning the lost wages that would result from her healing.
Wang Lu and Hai Yunfan were ecstatic to learn the practice was starting earlier than expected, especially since it meant Hai Yunfan could become Wang Wu's Successor Disciple sooner if he placed first. Wang Lu immediately began strategizing to assemble the perfect four-person team to ensure Hai Yunfan's success. He was surprised, however, to find that most disciples, including Zhu Qin and Wang Zhong, were flocking to other esteemed Successor Disciples like Yin Xuan, Zhu Shiyao, and Liu Li xian.
Zhu Qin and Wang Zhong approached Wang Lu to mock him, but Wang Lu quickly turned the tables, exposing Zhu Qin's own lack of teammates due to his lost cultivation. Soon after, the earnest Wen Bao approached Wang Lu, expressing admiration and trust, and was welcomed into their team as the "force output."
Wang Lu explained that with his "intelligence," Hai Yunfan's "magical power," and Wen Bao's "force output," they only lacked "background" and revealed his ideal fourth member: Feng Ling, the Leader's daughter. Meanwhile, Zhu Qin and Wang Zhong, in a desperate attempt to secure a powerful teammate, tried to bribe Liu Li xian with a large box of snacks.
However, Master Ao, Liu Li xian's master, arrived and dispersed the crowd, clearly frustrated by Liu Li xian's insatiable appetite and the commotion it caused. Wang Lu, Hai Yunfan, and Wen Bao then sought out Feng Ling. She initially refused to join, explaining she couldn't leave Lingjian Mountain. Wang Lu, undeterred, secretly offered her money he had hidden from his gambling winnings and used her existing resentment towards her father to provoke her.
Wang Lu suggested she confront the Leader, accusing him of "moral kidnapping" and confining her. Spurred by his words, Feng Ling stormed into Cloud Hall and echoed Wang Lu's sentiments, demanding her freedom. The Leader, touched by her defiance, agreed to let her go. However, to Wang Lu's dismay, Feng Ling then declared she would go down the mountain to practice alone, asserting that she would prove herself even if she could only practice mortal martial arts.
Wang Lu's meticulously crafted plan fell apart. With Feng Ling out of the picture, Wang Lu's team remained at three. When Senior Sister Yue, whom Wen Bao admired, offered to join their group, Wang Lu firmly but privately rejected her. He stressed that for Hai Yunfan's important mission, trust and compatible strength were paramount, and he couldn't risk bringing in someone they didn't fully trust.
Hai Yunfan and Wen Bao, though initially disappointed, eventually understood Wang Lu's reasoning and agreed that a three-person team was acceptable, provided a Master would vouch for them. Wang Wu, having furthered her cultivation by embracing the Liumang Poisonous Blood, had achieved the 108th level of her Wuxiang Sword Bone, freeing her from the once-monthly "bone-shattering pain." She had also used the poison to deduce Wang Lu's next cultivation steps.
However, the poison now caused painful outbreaks multiple times a day whenever she exerted her power. The Leader, observing her condition, ordered her to remain on Lingjian Mountain for the next six months for intensive healing using the Three-talent Star Formation, a treatment that would cost her five years of salary. Wang Lu, Hai Yunfan, and Wen Bao had been waiting for Wang Wu for a long time, hoping she would sign off on their three-person team.
Wang Lu even attempted to steal her official seal again, but Wang Wu caught him red-handed. She dismissed their concerns, stating there were still two days until the mobilization meeting, leaving open the possibility of an unexpected fourth member appearing. Before the practice, Wang Lu asked Wang Wu for a defensive artifact. She led him to a hidden space behind the Golden Age Monument, revealing it to be Lingjian's Sword Graveyard, filled with ancient weapons used by past masters.
Wang Lu immediately sensed a connection to the Kunshan Sword, which Wang Wu revealed had only ever been drawn by Ouyang Shang, who had vanished centuries ago. To Wang Wu's astonishment, Wang Lu easily pulled the sword from its sheath and even summoned its spirit, Liang Qiu. A heated argument immediately erupted between Wang Wu and Liang Qiu. From their bickering, Wang Lu shrewdly deduced that Wang Wu and Ouyang Shang had a romantic past.
Annoyed by the sword spirit's presence, Wang Wu suggested erasing Liang Qiu's memories to make her more compliant and offered the sword to Wang Lu. However, Wang Lu, valuing Liang Qiu's centuries of battle experience, refused to clear her memories. He continued to playfully tease Wang Wu about her past relationship with Ouyang Shang and her perceived affinity for Master Ao.
Wang Wu, in response, demonstrated the sword's defensive power by using it to deflect her own attack on Wang Lu. She then left him in the sword graveyard, cryptically telling him that "water can carry a boat, and also capsize it," implying the sword's power could be both a boon and a bane, before disappearing and leaving Wang Lu to figure out how to exit the chamber.
