Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Episode 36 Recap
> Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Recap
After Wang Lu broke his own loyalty, he then questioned everyone else's loyalty. As his words fell, all their loyalties shattered. Wang Lu had carefully planned this, knowing that if no one else scored, their current advantage would ensure an easy victory. He further instructed Liu Li Xian to destroy all the remaining gates, ensuring no one else could win.
To end the Spirit Gate trial, he provoked Du Songzi, inciting a mass brawl, which led to everyone's expulsion from the trial. During the fight, Hai Yunfan and Wang Lu exchanged a knowing glance, revealing that this entire situation was their scheme. Earlier, Hai Yunfan had secretly met with Wang Lu. Hai Yunfan communicated his intention to infiltrate the Shengjing Sect, despite Wang Lu's strong disapproval.
Hai Yunfan remained resolute, and by the time Wang Lu turned, Hai Yunfan had already departed. With Hai Yunfan acting as an undercover agent in the Shengjing Sect, he placed a wiretap charm on Master Shuiyue. This allowed Wang Lu to receive messages from Hai Yunfan during the trial, thus uncovering Master Shuiyue's cunning plan. Hai Yunfan had revealed that Master Shuiyue had set up the Zhou Tian puppet matrix within the Virtues Hall.
He explained that the matrix would upgrade with each passed trial, and once fully completed, all participants would lose their minds and become Master Shuiyue's puppets. Realizing the danger, Wang Lu and Hai Yunfan understood they had to end the trial immediately.
Based on Hai Yunfan's information, Wang Lu devised a plan: they would maintain a pretense of winning to avoid suspicion, then provoke Du Songzi into a brawl to get everyone disqualified and terminate the trial, thus saving Wang Wu. This strategic maneuver led to the current situation, and as Wang Lu predicted, they were indeed all expelled from the Spirit Gate. Master Shuiyue's scheme was ruined, and her formation was destroyed, causing her to suffer a backlash.
This freed the sect leaders, who were now able to unite against Master Shuiyue. However, when Wang Wu confronted Master Shuiyue, Master Shuiyue unexpectedly implicated Hai Tiankuo. Seizing the moment, Hai Tiankuo severely injured Lord Dilun and the other sect leaders while they were distracted. Wang Wu found herself isolated, facing both Master Shuiyue and Hai Tiankuo. But Hai Tiankuo did not turn Wang Wu into a puppet as Master Shuiyue desired.
Instead, he wounded Master Shuiyue, indicating his objectives differed from hers. He then took Master Shuiyue's Goddess Stone and abducted Wang Wu. Wang Wu warned Hai Tiankuo that the Lingjian Sect would not let him get away with it if he harmed her. Hai Tiankuo, in turn, told her that he knew she wanted to see Ouyang Shang and that he would take her to him.
Wang Lu and Hai Yunfan, having exited the Spirit Gate, rushed to the hall, where the severely injured Lord Dilun informed them of Hai Tiankuo's involvement. Wang Lu then realized that Hai Tiankuo was the man in black who had previously harmed Feng Ling. Knowing this, Wang Lu understood where Hai Tiankuo would have taken Wang Wu. Hai Tiankuo brought Wang Wu to Niu Village, to the sealed Black Tide well, intending to make her witness Ouyang Shang's resurrection.
He revealed that he was also responsible for stealing the Blood Magic Pearl and Feng Ling’s nine tails, all for the purpose of reviving Ouyang Shang. Hai Tiankuo explained their past to Wang Wu: 108 years ago, he and Ouyang Shang were like brothers. During a training expedition near the well, Hai Tiankuo was captured by the King of Demon. Ouyang Shang, in saving him, was bitten and infected with the Black Tide.
Hai Tiankuo used the Junhuang's Changing Magic to transfer the evil to himself, sealing it within a totem, which would hold for ten years. Ouyang Shang promised they would eliminate the evil together after they both reached the Nascent Soul stage. However, Ouyang Shang later sacrificed himself by perishing with the King of Demon to save Wang Wu and the common people, becoming a hero.
Meanwhile, Hai Tiankuo, unable to remove the evil after ten years, transformed into a half-human, half-demon monster. He wanted Ouyang Shang to experience the same monstrous fate. Just as Hai Tiankuo was about to act against Wang Wu, Wang Lu and Hai Yunfan arrived. Hai Yunfan immediately confronted Hai Tiankuo, accusing him of killing his parents and entire clan, to which Hai Tiankuo admitted, saying they were in his way.
Wang Lu told Hai Yunfan to stall Hai Tiankuo while he rescued Wang Wu, but he found Wang Wu bound by the Magical Rope, which could not be cut. Realizing Hai Yunfan was no match for Hai Tiankuo alone, Wang Lu joined him in the fight. As they fought together, Hai Tiankuo unleashed the 36 Lights Prison, the supreme stage of Junhuang imprisonment magic, trapping them.
Wang Lu warned Hai Tiankuo that he would tear him apart if he harmed Wang Wu, but Hai Tiankuo dismissed his threat, asserting that Wang Lu's Heart Demon Oath prevented him from attacking first. Hai Tiankuo then explained he would use the Ternary Patronus, utilizing three ancient artifacts, to enter Wang Wu's dream and revive Ouyang Shang from her memories. He warned that if Wang Wu suffered any harm in the dream, she might never awaken.
To save Wang Wu, Hai Yunfan, despite being heavily injured, used the Qianyuan kungfu to break the 36 Lights Prison. Despite being surprised at Hai Yunfan's mastery of such a technique, Wang Lu, with Wang Wu in critical danger, had no time to ponder. Hai Yunfan urged Wang Lu to find Wang Wu quickly in the dream before Hai Tiankuo could harm her. Wang Lu entered Wang Wu's dream, and using his understanding of her, quickly found her.
When Wang Wu awoke in the dream, she mistook Wang Lu for Ouyang Shang and kissed him, leaving Wang Lu momentarily stunned. It was only when she called out "Senior brother" that Wang Lu came to his senses and pushed her away, clarifying that he was Wang Lu. Hai Tiankuo then seized Wang Wu from the side and imprisoned her within the 36 Lights Prison. Wang Lu forced Hai Tiankuo to attack him, creating an opportunity to counter.
However, Wang Lu was ultimately no match for Hai Tiankuo and was severely wounded, falling unconscious. Hai Tiankuo, disregarding Wang Lu's condition, sought to find Ouyang Shang. Just as he prepared to kill Wang Wu to force Ouyang Shang's appearance, Wang Lu suddenly stirred, now speaking with Ouyang Shang's voice, and blocked Hai Tiankuo's attack. Wang Lu had become Ouyang Shang.
Ouyang Shang confronted Hai Tiankuo, who remained unrepentant, asserting that his actions were justified to revive Ouyang Shang, and that the deaths were worthy. Seeing Hai Tiankuo's continued delusion, Ouyang Shang, stating he would act on behalf of heaven, incapacitated Hai Tiankuo by destroying his cultivation, warning him not to harm anyone again. To compensate Hai Tiankuo for his past sacrifices, Ouyang Shang then materialized from Wang Lu's body and moved towards Hai Tiankuo, stating he would now pay his debt.
