Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Episode 22 Recap
> Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Recap
Lord Tianlun, fully consumed by the Black Tide, violently attacked his own subordinates before turning his attention to the unconscious Hai Yunfan and Wen Bao. Wang Lu immediately intervened, wielding his Kunshan sword to shatter the barrier Lord Tianlun had erected, and confronted the possessed figure. Despite fighting with the Kunshan sword, Wang Lu was no match for the corrupted Lord Tianlun and was severely wounded.
Seeing Lord Tianlun about to strike Wang Lu down, Liu Li Xian bravely stepped forward. She tearfully called out to her father, "Father! It’s me! I’m A-Li!" Her desperate pleas briefly pierced through Lord Tianlun’s clouded mind, but it was only for a moment. He quickly relapsed and struck Liu Li Xian down. Just then, Master Wang arrived.
Without waiting for Wang Lu to explain the situation, she swiftly engaged Lord Tianlun, understanding that subduing him, now possessed by the Black Tide, was paramount to prevent widespread devastation. Master Wang was still recovering from her own injuries, and to make matters worse, the Luna Eclipse intensified the Liumang Poisonous Blood within her, severely weakening her. Lord Tianlun mocked her, noting that she could barely protect herself, let alone stop him.
Despite their individual struggles, Master Wang and Wang Lu exchanged a determined glance. They understood that if the Black Tide broke its confinement and shattered the Qingmu Mark, the entire world would be ravaged. They synchronized their attacks, striking Lord Tianlun with their swords. Still, their combined efforts were insufficient. In a critical moment, Liu Li Xian once again pushed forward to restrain Lord Tianlun, who, having lost all reason, could no longer be reasoned with or even approached.
Her courageous act created an opening, allowing Master Wang and Wang Lu to finally overcome the demon-possessed Lord Tianlun. With the Black Tide temporarily controlled, Liu Li Xian chose to sacrifice herself. She entrusted Hai Yunfan’s care to Wang Lu and walked towards the sacrificial altar, offering her blood. Before she could fully comprehend, Wang Lu also joined her, offering his own blood.
Liu Li Xian was surprised, but Wang Lu explained that as a chosen one with a spirit root, his blood might also prove valuable. The Blood Matrix was successfully activated by their combined sacrifice, sealing the Qingmu Mark and preventing the Black Tide from fully emerging. After the successful sacrifice, Ye Li's body succumbed, but the innocent Liu Li Xian persona (Little Liu Li) remained.
With her last breaths, Ye Li asked Wang Lu to care for Liu Li Xian, ensuring she could continue to live a simple, happy life. She then made a final plea to Master Wang, asking her to cast a spell on Hai Yunfan to erase all his memories of Ye Li. Ye Li revealed her past: four years prior, while on a blood-gathering mission, she was severely wounded by a practitioner.
Hai Yunfan, mistaking her for a victim, nursed her back to health. He brought light into her dark life, making her question her murderous ways and leading to the development of the Liu Li Xian personality. Despite the deep affection, Ye Li lacked the courage to reveal her true identity and cast an Oblivious Charm on him before he left.
When they reunited at Lingjian sect, Ye Li, under the guise of Liu Li Xian, secretly aided Hai Yunfan, but she deliberately spoke cruel words to him at Qianling Sect to push him away when he recovered his memories. Knowing that Hai Yunfan carried a burden of secrets and hatred, Ye Li urged Wang Lu to stay by Hai Yunfan’s side and help him overcome his darkness, allowing him to live in the light.
Wang Lu promised to do so, and with a final expression of gratitude for having met them, Ye Li passed away. Master Wang honored Ye Li's dying wish and erased Hai Yunfan's memories. When Hai Yunfan awoke, he felt a strange, inexplicable emptiness, as if something important had vanished from his heart. Everyone around him feigned normalcy, and Wang Lu reassured him that Lord Tianlun had been defeated and Liu Li Xian was merely asleep.
He then instructed Hai Yunfan to take Liu Li Xian back to rest. Later, Wang Lu asked Master Wang about the injury she sustained during the Luna Eclipse. Master Wang initially tried to dismiss it, claiming she was just drunk. However, Wang Lu revealed that Ling, the owner of the inn, had told him about Master Wang's monthly ordeal with the Liumang Poisonous Blood, which caused her immense pain during the full moon.
To alleviate her suffering, Wang Lu offered her a Mafeisan pill, a remedy he learned about from his childhood friend Lan, typically used to relieve monthly pains in women. The medicine surprisingly eased Master Wang's discomfort, much to her surprise and Wang Lu’s teasing about her "old age." Before departing, Master Wang informed Wang Lu that Lingjian sect had learned about his establishment of the Heart Sect.
She warned him that Elder Fang He was already on his way to investigate, having been tipped off by Zhu Qin. While Master Wang left to pursue a spiritual treasure that had emerged from the battle formation, Wang Lu devised a plan. He instructed Wen Bao to meet Elder He at Light Mansion for a crucial mission, entrusting him with the future of the Heart Sect.
Meanwhile, Liu Li Xian fully awakened, her mind reverted to her innocent, childlike state, with no recollection of the recent traumatic events or her past with Hai Yunfan, whose own memories of her had also been erased. Hai Yunfan patiently explained that they were at Qianling Sect headquarters and that he had rescued her from Lord Tianlun.
Their reunion was cut short by the arrival of Elder Fang He and Elder Ao Guan Hai, who sternly commanded Liu Li Xian to kneel, accusing her of aiding Lord Tianlun in the slaughter of innocent civilians. Confused, Liu Li Xian asked about her father, prompting the elders to bluntly inform her of Lord Tianlun's death. The devastating news, combined with the accusation of her involvement, overwhelmed Liu Li Xian, causing her to faint once more.
Wang Lu immediately stepped forward, acting as Liu Li Xian's advocate. He explained that Liu Li Xian's mind was akin to that of a five or six-year-old, and she had no knowledge of her father's identity or his dark deeds. He argued that revealing such a cruel truth to her was inhumane. Elder Fang He countered, asserting the severity of Liu Li Xian's supposed crimes and his authority as a penal master.
Wang Lu conceded that Lord Tianlun had indeed orchestrated the massacres, but he clarified that the true purpose was to collect blood for a ritual to repair the Qingmu Mark and seal the impending Black Tide, drawing a parallel to a similar heroic act by Ouyang Shang a century ago. He suggested the elders use Lingjian sect’s Star Divination technique to verify his claims.
The elders confirmed the truth of Wang Lu's account regarding the Black Tide and Lord Tianlun’s intentions. However, they maintained that the act of slaughtering innocents remained a grave crime. Wang Lu used an analogy of two eggs—one representing thousands of lives sacrificed, the other representing millions saved—to illustrate the impossible ethical dilemma Lord Tianlun faced, emphasizing that he was not purely evil and had prepared to die for his actions.
The elders were left speechless, unable to argue with the profound complexity of the situation. To definitively prove Liu Li Xian's innocence, Wang Lu explained her split personalities: the cruel and obedient Ye Li, who had indeed participated in the massacres, and the naive, innocent Liu Li Xian, who was unaware of her father's identity or involvement in any killings. He asserted that the Ye Li personality was now gone.
To test this, he challenged Elder Fang He to severely insult Lord Tianlun in front of Liu Li Xian. If the Ye Li personality was still present, she would react violently due to her filial devotion. Elder Fang He reluctantly agreed, and upon hearing his harsh words, Liu Li Xian, completely bewildered, showed no aggression. Instead, she offered him water, innocently asking who he was so angry at.
This proved that the pure-hearted Liu Li Xian was the only personality remaining. Convinced that the Ye Li persona was truly gone, Elder Fang He declared the matter resolved for Liu Li Xian. He stated he would take her back to Lingjian sect for close supervision, with the understanding that further action would be taken only if her alternate personality resurfaced. With Liu Li Xian's case settled, Elder Fang He then turned his attention to Wang Lu, ready to address the matter of his unauthorized creation of the Heart Sect.