Song of the Moon Episode 31 Recap
> Song of the Moon Recap
Following Luo Ge's recent arduous purification of the Yin-yang Cave and Wu Shiwei's sacrifice, Liu Shao's resolve to seal her divine spirit deepened. The Demon King in White, who had been tasked with finding ancient remedies, finally located the Baffling Star Stone after an immense exertion of demon power. Liu Shao believed this rare medicine would aid her. She requested Shang Yurong to invite Zhuo Qiuxian and the Immortal Master for assistance.
The Immortal Master readily agreed, noting that the Six-star Brilliant Array required for the sealing could be performed in three days, coinciding with an eclipse. However, Zhuo Qiuxian expressed hesitation, acknowledging the immense difficulty of sealing a divine spirit, a feat more challenging than the Demon King's past sealing of Immortal Ze Shui, and one that would require the aid of the masters of the three palaces.
Liu Shao, determined to shoulder the burden herself, initially chose not to inform Luo Ge, although Luo Ning believed Luo Ge would welcome it as it would resolve the conflict between their powers. Shang Yurong reassured Zhuo Qiuxian, suggesting Luo Ge might already be aware, as he had previously instructed them to find ways to nourish Liu Shao's body after his return from the Yin-yang Cave.
Luo Ning also noted that sealing the Sun Spirit, though potentially improving Liu Shao's mana, would ensure her and Luo Ge's spiritual powers no longer clashed, allowing them to be together. Despite these preparations, Luo Ning felt an unease, as if the God of the Sun was trying to convey a message against the sealing.
Prior to the sealing, Zhuo Qiuxian investigated a sudden surge of evil spirits in the Bone Melting Pool after General Xie Lingqi had reported an abnormal increase in malevolent energy there. While inside, Zhuo Qiuxian experienced vivid hallucinations, hearing a voice mock her success and question if she had forgotten her master's dying wish, suggesting that Old Palace Master Shang would be disappointed that his only son, Shang Yurong, remained a mere general for a millennium.
Disoriented by these visions, Zhuo Qiuxian realized something was deeply wrong with the Bone Melting Pool and warned her subordinates to be vigilant. On the day of the divine spirit sealing, Liu Shao, supported by the Immortal Master, Shang Yurong, and Zhuo Qiuxian, remained steadfast despite the knowledge that the process would be exceptionally perilous and painful, a task never before attempted. She affirmed that her decision was for the sake of the Three Realms and Luo Ge.
During the critical moment, Zhuo Qiuxian, under the influence of an evil spirit, betrayed the alliance, attacking both Liu Shao and Shang Yurong. The Crown Wheel, the weapon of the God of the Sun and Liu Shao's protector, spontaneously manifested to defend its master. Luo Ge appeared instantly, confirming Zhuo Qiuxian was indeed affected by the evil spirit and warning that the true antagonist might be "the one under the Four Seasons Monument."
He then swiftly rescued Liu Shao and the Crown Wheel, instructing Shang Yurong to attend to Zhuo Qiuxian before meeting him at Palace Chonghua. After the ordeal, Luo Ge questioned if the sealing was worth it, as it had diminished Liu Shao's potential for advancing her mana.
Liu Shao, however, maintained that it was entirely worthwhile, as it meant their spiritual powers would no longer clash, allowing them to truly be together and ensuring Luo Ge would no longer suffer on her behalf, despite her understanding of his broader responsibility to the Three Realms. Luo Ge, acknowledging her selflessness, decided to take her to the mortal world to help her appreciate the preciousness of her Sun Spirit and the importance of her role.
Zhuo Qiuxian, unable to withstand the evil spirit's influence, fell into a coma. Upon regaining consciousness, she was filled with remorse, distressed that she had nearly ruined the sealing formation and harmed Liu Shao, though Shang Yurong reassured her that Liu Shao was safe thanks to Luo Ge. Zhuo Qiuxian, however, struggled to accept that her complete mind could have been so easily swayed.
The evil spirit then re-emerged, causing her to lose control again and lash out at Shang Yurong before collapsing once more. Luo Ge concluded that this malevolent force originated from the Four Seasons Monument, using the Bone Melting Pool's evil spirits as a disguise. He explained that the evil spirit exploits human desires and attachments, suggesting Zhuo Qiuxian's own burdens and obsessions made her vulnerable. Shang Yurong blamed himself, believing he was the cause of her predicament.
To swiftly find a solution to the burgeoning evil spirit problem, Luo Ge prepared to take Liu Shao to the mortal world, entrusting Shang Yurong with the vital duty of overseeing the Immortal Palace. Luo Ge believed the evil spirit's recent resurgence was a deliberate attempt to weaken him, and he hoped to discover an unexpected means of countering it in the mortal realm.
Upon learning of Luo Ge's departure, the Immortal Master was enraged, accusing Luo Ge of repeatedly jeopardizing his path to godhood for Liu Shao. At this moment, a mysterious voice, identified as the Black Moon Light, began to exert control over the Immortal Master's mind. The voice suggested that Luo Ge's indulgence in love was actually the Immortal Master's opportunity, slowly overriding his will.
The Immortal Master struggled against this invasive presence, denying that he had committed the acts the voice attributed to him, but was eventually completely subjugated, becoming a crucial internal asset for the malevolent entity within the Immortal Palace. Liu Shao brought Luo Ge home to meet her parents, leading to a joyful family reunion. Her parents, beaming with pride, celebrated their daughter's success in becoming an immortal and bringing an Immortal Palace dignitary home.
Luo Ge also reconnected with the warmth of family life, returning with Liu Shao to their former rustic courtyard. There, Wang Jian and Xue had prepared a meal, and as they dined, Luo Ge learned that the common folk, in gratitude for his role in restoring the boundary of the Marquis Wuyang's Mansion, putting down Ao Yin, and bringing peace to the world, had turned the place into a shrine.
People frequently came to pray for good luck, and on every festival, they would release pray for heaven lanterns as a sign of their profound reverence. Luo Ge reminisced that this was where he first encountered an immortal as a child, marking it as the starting point of Liu Shao's journey to change her destiny and become a guardian of the Three Realms.
After hearing these tales, Liu Shao mused that the mortal world, with its unique charms, was not inferior to the Immortal Realm, questioning why everyone aspired to become an immortal. Luo Ge explained that the beauty of the mortal world existed because someone protected it, which was the very purpose of the Immortal Palace and the reason individuals like Marquis Wuyang diligently cultivated immortality.
He urged Liu Shao, as someone possessing the Sun Spirit and chosen by destiny, to be diligent in her own cultivation and not let personal feelings impede her vital progress. Liu Shao, though acknowledging his words, confessed that inheriting the Sun Spirit was never her intention, and she sometimes felt like a mere shadow living someone else's destiny.
Luo Ge understood her feelings but emphasized that with the Sun Spirit came a profound responsibility to protect the vulnerable mortal world from evil, asserting that those entrusted with great power must bear heavy burdens. Despite Liu Shao's reluctance to embrace such a monumental responsibility, Luo Ge arranged for her to receive the Baffling Star Stone to aid her cultivation.
Under his guidance, she diligently practiced with the Crown Wheel, the weapon of the Sun God, and began to feel power flow back into her body. She found the Crown Wheel itself was assisting her rapid progress following the sealing of her divine spirit. Liu Shao grew more confident, believing she could assist Luo Ge if anything were to happen at the Four Seasons Monument.
Luo Ge, pleased with her newfound resolve, affirmed his desire to protect her while also defending the Three Realms alongside her. Soon after, Luo Ge received an urgent message from the Immortal Master indicating renewed instability at the Four Seasons Monument, prompting them to promptly return to the Immortal Palace.
The Black Moon Light praised the Immortal Master's actions, reveling in its scheme: as long as Luo Ge remained in the Immortal Palace, he would be forced to continuously deplete his immortal energy, eventually weakening enough for the Black Moon Light to seize control of the Three Realms. The Immortal Master, briefly regaining lucidity, was horrified to realize that his ten-thousand-year cultivation had been compromised by an evil entity and feared Luo Ge would discover his complicity.
Meanwhile, Luo Ge, upon his return, immediately noticed new, unsettling cracks in the Four Seasons Monument, which indicated external tampering. He deduced that these attacks, along with the recent deaths of disciples near the Monument, were the work of a cunning traitor within the Immortal Palace. He also observed the alarming surge of evil spirits emanating from the Life Gate beneath the Four Seasons Monument, connecting to the Bone Melting Pool.
Luo Ge explained that the one beneath the Four Seasons Monument was attempting to accumulate enough evil energy in the pool to corrupt any immortal, just as it had once destroyed the mind of the powerful God of Moonlight. He resolved to personally clear the evil spirits from the Bone Melting Pool, though it would cost him spiritual power, understanding this was precisely the enemy's intent to deplete his strength.
He emphasized the critical need to eliminate the traitor to prevent the Four Seasons Monument's collapse and maintain the safety of the Immortal Palace. Luo Ning, who had been anxiously awaiting Luo Ge's return, immediately sought him out to inquire about the Aquatic Demon curse. She believed the eons of separation between the demon world and the Immortal Palace, along with the punishment endured by her people, should be enough.
She expressed hope that since the curse was laid by a merciful god, there must be a way to break it. Luo Ge, however, quickly surmised that her true concern was for Fu, whom he adamantly warned her to stay away from, labeling him as untrustworthy. Luo Ning fiercely defended Fu, sparking a heated argument between the siblings. Exasperated, Luo Ge grounded her, but his departure was expedited by a summons from Shang Yurong to the Litian Temple.
After Luo Ge grounded Luo Ning, he proceeded to Litian Temple to address the surging evil spirits from the Bone Melting Pool. Despite his existing injuries and having used his Spring energy to repair the Four Seasons Monument, Luo Ge single-handedly condensed a large amount of evil spirit into a bead, recognizing that this strenuous effort was precisely what his enemy intended to deplete his spiritual power.
The exertion severely injured his internal organs and spirit veins, confirming the foe's cunning strategy to wear him down. While Luo Ge was recuperating from this immense strain, Luo Ning discovered she could break free from his protective boundary, realizing his weakened state had inadvertently allowed her escape. Seizing the opportunity, Luo Ning sought out the Immortal Master, asking him to explain the origins of the Aquatic Demon curse, hoping to uncover a method for its resolution.
The Immortal Master, still somewhat influenced but willing to share, recounted the tale of Immortal Ze Shui. He revealed that Immortal Ze Shui had been destined to marry the Demon King, not the lake fairy she desired. She attempted to flee but was captured and her immortal energy sealed, forcing her to remain in the demon world.
After an indeterminate period, she finally managed to break the seal with a magic weapon and journeyed to the Brahma tree, where she vehemently denounced the Demon King's monstrous actions, realizing the stark incompatibility between immortals and demons.
