Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Episode 7 Recap
> Once Upon a Time in Lingjian Mountain Recap
The episode begins as Liu Li xian violently beats Zhu Qin, seemingly as a result of a prank orchestrated by Wang Lu. Amidst the chaos, assassins launch a surprise attack, showering the restaurant with arrows. Wang Lu swiftly pulls Wang Zhong out of harm's way, then urges Zhu Qin to activate his Breaking Eye. Zhu Qin complies, dispelling the illusion cast by the attackers. However, several figures in black then shatter the windows, trapping the group inside.
Curiously, they use the Six Lights Prison to immobilize Hai Yunfan. Sensing the urgency, Liu Li xian steps forward, confronting the assassins alone and ordering Wang Lu and the others to flee. As they escape, Wang Lu presses Hai Yunfan for answers. He reveals his suspicion that Hai Yunfan is from Junhuang Mountain, having recognized the Six Lights Prison as a unique technique of that sect.
Wang Lu deduces that Hai Yunfan must be a person of considerable importance, perhaps a prince, as the assassins sought to capture him alive rather than kill him. Hai Yunfan confirms his identity as the second prince of Junhuang Mountain, but Wang Lu immediately cuts him off, stating that he will not pry into Hai Yunfan's past and will keep his secret, valuing their bond as brothers above all.
Deeply moved by Wang Lu's loyalty, Hai Yunfan expresses concern for Wang Lu's upcoming competition against Liu Li xian, fearing for his safety despite Wang Lu's mastery of Whirling. He then entrusts Wang Lu with a Teleport Charm, a valuable item he stole from Junhuang Mountain, urging him to use it as a last resort.
Wang Lu tests the charm, likening it to an "At Will Door," then jokingly scolds Hai Yunfan for not using it earlier during the tryouts, which led to Wang Lu falling into a sand pit. That night, Zhu Qin secretly meets with a mysterious individual. Zhu Qin apologizes for the failed assassination attempt, explaining that he was forced to use Breaking Eye to avoid exposing himself.
The mysterious figure, who orchestrated the attack, is furious, accusing Zhu Qin of betraying him and warning him that the next day's competition is his last chance to prove his worth, threatening dire consequences if he fails again. The next day, Zhu Qin approaches Liu Li xian with an array of desserts, attempting to manipulate her before the competition.
He questions her eating habits, implying it might hinder her, but Liu Li xian dismisses his concerns, stating her master advised her to eat for strength and threatens to eat Zhu Qin if he keeps bothering her. Zhu Qin tries to turn her against Wang Lu, reminding her of his cunning nature and how he used her as a human shield during the previous day's attack.
Liu Li xian, however, defends Wang Lu, explaining her master taught her that speaking ill of someone behind their back is wicked. She also notes that Wang Lu is handsome, implying his words might be right. Exasperated by Zhu Qin's incessant nagging, Liu Li xian calls him annoying and, after momentarily leaving and then returning to grab the desserts, departs for good. The grand competition begins.
Wang Wu, having placed a significant bet on Wang Lu's victory, pressures him to win. Before the fight, Wang Lu attempts to exploit a loophole, asking if both contestants falling off the stage simultaneously would count as his win. While the Master officiating initially agrees, another Elder, Master Fang, quickly intervenes, adding a rule that voluntarily jumping off the stage does not count, recognizing Wang Lu's cunning.
Wang Lu initiates the fight with Whirling, aiming to exhaust Liu Li xian by exploiting her "weakness" of indigestion. However, Liu Li xian proves her superior skill, swiftly finding a flaw in his movements and landing a forceful punch. Undeterred, Wang Lu shifts tactics, targeting Liu Li xian's sensitive waistline and even pulling her hair, which infuriates her. Enraged, Liu Li xian loses control and unleashes her ultimate move, the Flaming Sword.
As the situation turns critical, Wang Wu prepares to intervene, but Wang Lu, seizing the moment, uses the Teleport Charm. He attaches it to the entire stage, teleporting both himself and Liu Li xian off the platform simultaneously. This clever maneuver, in accordance with the rules, grants Wang Lu a surprising victory. Despite his severe injuries, Wang Lu's body shows remarkable resilience, a testament to the two years of mysterious herbal baths Wang Wu had made him take.
As Wang Lu recovers, Wang Wu boasts about her efforts, revealing she made him take herbal baths for two years to strengthen his weak physique, expecting him to master body cultivation by the next year. Wang Lu initially dismisses her efforts as merely a ploy for his gratitude, even mocking her "fake sword" and the "hired ghost" he thought she used to impress him. However, Feng Ling visits Wang Lu and clarifies the truth.
She explains that his rapid recovery is indeed due to Wang Wu's dedicated efforts and that the "ghost" he encountered was a dangerous wandering soul, attracted by his Void Magic Root. Feng Ling warns that such souls can cause madness or even soul dispersion, revealing that Wang Wu's Bamboo Sword, while potent against evil spirits, results in mutual destruction when used against wandering souls. Realizing Wang Wu had genuinely risked her life to save him, Wang Lu feels remorse.
Feng Ling further explains that Wang Wu's seemingly harsh actions, including the competition with Liu Li xian and the painful baths, were all part of a meticulous plan to help him cultivate Wuxiang Sword Bone. This legendary martial art, once mastered, grants invincibility, but its rigorous training demands the practitioner be severely injured repeatedly without their knowledge. Wang Lu now understands his master's challenging methods were calculated for his growth.
He later discovers that Wuxiang Sword Bone was created by Lingjian Sect's former "Golden disciple," Ouyang Shang, and that Wang Wu modified it, making it accessible to cultivators at the Foundation Building stage, a crucial adaptation for his Void Magic Root which otherwise hinders spiritual energy retention. When Wang Lu eagerly asks when he can formally begin cultivation, Wang Wu, lamenting her financial woes due to the exorbitant cost of his herbal baths, states it will take ten years.
Later, Wang Lu, now understanding the benefits of his herbal baths, enthusiastically invites Hai Yunfan to join him. Moments after entering the bath, Hai Yunfan faints. Wang Lu, concerned, offers to have Wang Wu examine him. Hai Yunfan, upon regaining consciousness, explains that the "Marrow Cleansing Bath" specially formulated by Master Wang, activated a dormant restriction placed on him during his three years of imprisonment in Junhuang Mountain.
This dangerous sealing art caused him excruciating pain as it resisted the bath's spiritual energy. Wang Lu is surprised by Hai Yunfan's stoic endurance. Hai Yunfan reveals he kept the restriction a secret from everyone else in the sect, including Master Hua Yun. While it hasn't affected his regular training, he worries it might prevent him from learning Non-Phase Peak's martial arts.
Wang Lu reassures him and promises to research a solution in the Scripture Library, advising Hai Yunfan to remain within the mountain's safety for now. With Wang Lu having successfully cultivated Wuxiang Sword Bone, Wang Wu finally agrees to systematically teach him the Non-Phase Method. She proudly declares her self-created Non-Phase Method as a unique secret art, emphasizing that only self-created martial arts truly belong to oneself.
Wang Lu acknowledges her philosophy, then teasingly points out that she is the only Golden Core stage cultivator in the entire Lingjian Sect. Wang Wu retorts that her "98-modified" Non-Phase Method is now powerful enough to protect his unique Void Magic Root, and asks if he wants to learn it, to which Wang Lu eagerly agrees.
